I look to my older cousin as a professional role model. She is the first person on my paternal grandmother’s side of the family to receive a Master’s degree. She is a Public Health Professional. She is my go-to for advice and guidance in the professional world. I am proud of every Black woman who continues to strive for success while fighting oppressive systems and policies that were meant to keep her down. I’m also proud of myself. I’ve spent years in college with no guidance. I will be the first person on my maternal grandmother’s side of the family to obtain a Master’s degree. I want generational poverty to end with me.

If I could invite one person to dinner with my family, it would be Malcolm X. He has historical knowledge of Boston, and I admire his ‘by any means necessary stance’ on racial injustice. When I am not at Fathers’ UpLift, I am being a mom, spending time with my family, and traveling when I can.