My favorite memory from my time at Howard University is the day I discovered my community. Before I arrived at college, I loved watching Anime and attending anime conventions. After arriving on campus, I found a flyer inside the university center that said: “Join our Anime GroupMe!” I immediately took out my phone to join. Not long after that, I actively conversed in the group chat with dozens of students who loved Anime, such as myself. One day, I thought, “What if I threw a watch party?” I established a date and place and shared it in the group chat.  I was excited as many people shared that they would attend this event. Surprisingly, over thirty students showed up to the watch party. I was taken by surprise. I assumed I wouldn’t have been able to find such a large group of anime fans, especially at an HBCU like Howard. By the end of the showing, the entire room had been lit with conversation. It was like a dream; I knew that I found my niche.  Now, I am the president and co-founder of Howard’s first official Anime club. I wouldn’t be where I am now, had I not held the watch party. Aside from finding my niche, it has taught me leadership, communication skills, and discipline. All of which are valuable assets for my college and pre-professional journey.

In middle school, something happened that would change my life for good. My parents received an eviction notice from their landlord, giving them less than thirty days to pack our belongings and leave. I remember being very frustrated. Both of my parents had great jobs with good pay. But that didn’t matter. Inflation took place and the cost of living skyrocketed, leaving my parents unable to pay their rent. Without the funds to rent a house, we were forced into homelessness. For six years, my family was forced to live from couch to couch. We are a family of seven, so anywhere we went it was overcrowded. I barely had privacy or a quiet place to do my homework. I couldn’t invite friends over because I didn’t have my room. So, as a teenager, I was increasingly upset with my living situation. I had no space to grow. Despite my situation, I set a goal; a goal to get a college degree so that I will not fall into the same circumstances. But one of the biggest questions that arose was: “Where?”. In high school, I participated in programs that educated low-income students of color about colleges and career paths; However, I still wasn’t sure where I wanted to go. That is when I stumbled upon a program called UCAN, which educates Black students about HBCUs and provides scholarships for students who wish to attend these schools. I was reeled in instantly. The idea of joining an intellectual space with people who looked like me interested me more than other schools that lacked them. After months of research in my junior year, I applied to Howard University, a top-ranked HBCU in Washington, DC. By the end of high school, I made the honor roll for all four years, joined the freshman basketball team, and presented research for the Office of Diversity and Inclusion at the UC Davis School of Medicine. In the midst of that, I was able to discover my passion for medicine. Later, I participated in hands-on workshops focused on Sports Medicine, which allowed me to gain experience in hand and ankle taping and CPR training. I took 9 AP classes and received top grades in all of them. And to my utmost surprise, I was granted admission to Howard with an academic scholarship. Now, I am a Junior Biology major and chemistry minor at Howard University. So far, I’ve received good grades in my classes and joined numerous pre-medicine-focused clubs. In my freshman year of college, I co-founded and became president of Howard’s first Anime club. It was officially recognized and established in my Sophomore year. In its first year, we gained over sixty official members making it one of the fastest-growing interest-based organizations on campus. Last summer, my family finally found a place to live in. However, I still choose to follow the path towards creating a future from extreme financial burdens. Through this, my future family will be able to thrive and live comfortably.