With each passing year I get closer and closer to ending my journey in Undergrad here at the University of Cincinnati. I am excited to be moving forward with my life and exploring new possibilities. It was definitely difficult for me to see all my friends that I entered into college with graduating without me, but I was happy for them at the same time and seeing all the wonderful things they are doing post-graduation. I just had to remember that things happen in their own time and my time is coming. This upcoming school year will be my 5th and final year and I am ready to graduate and see what else life has to offer.

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This year has brought me the biggest blessing and hardest challenge I have faced all wrapped up in one. On, September 6, 2016 I gave birth to my daughter, Ariyah. She has brought me so much joy in the short time that she has been here. We continue to learn from each other every day and I couldn’t imagine anyone else I would rather share my triumphs and downfalls with. Being a full-time mom and full-time student is definitely a challenge especially living far from home and family. Ariyah is my constant reminder that failure is not an option because everything I do is for OUR future. I returned to school when Ariyah was 4 months old after completing the previous semester online and it was surprisingly not as hard of an adjustment I thought it would be. I honestly love it just being me and her living alone together. I somehow managed to schedule an 18 credit hour course load in 2 days, so I only had class 2 days week and got to spend the rest of my time with Ariyah; minus one day for me to study without interruption. I had a very successful semester that ended in a 3.7 G.P.A.. Unfortunately, this upcoming semester I was not so fortunate in the scheduling department, I have class every day, however my days are short.

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I am excited to begin my 2017-2018 school year. This summer, starting in July I will be interning with the Western & Southern Open (a professional tennis tournament). This is the first big step in my journey towards finding a career within professional sports. The last day of the tennis tournament is the start of a brand new school year. So I go straight from work mode right into school mode. I am so ready for this school year because it is my last year as a college undergrad. Also, fall semester will be my last semester of taking classes, spring semester is solely reserved for my capstone internship that I will hopefully be completing in either Cleveland or Georgia. So, some advice that I would give to myself is to never lose sight of my goals and to maintain focus because I am almost at the finish line. The one thing people doubted the most was that I would be able to finish college while also taking care of my daughter. And here I am 2 semesters away from graduation and she added no extra time to my college journey. Since I changed my major my sophomore year I have known that I would graduate college in 5 years and that still is the case. I also need to always maintain faith in myself for I can do anything. The world is full of endless possibilities.

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Every experience that I take on has an affect on me. I have grown so much in these past 4 years, especially this last one. Having a child makes you see things so differently because it’s not just me now, I have to think of Ariyah in every decision I make. She’s influenced what I thought my career would be. Working in sports can be difficult when you have a family. Depending on what you do working in sports guarantees that you will be working long hours and holidays and now I am just not willing to do that. I definitely still want to find a job in sports, but now I am much pickier with the type of job I will accept and what sports I am willing to work with. Aside from my professional evolution, personally I carry myself differently now because I know that she is watching my every move and it is my job to shape her young mind and help her become a beautiful young woman. The first step is for her to see me graduate and walk across that stage, even if she won’t remember it.