A Big Day Remembered !

 Most Memorable Moment !

The most memorable moment of my life was THE CALL to come to South Carolina State University. To give you a back story......

My first year of college was interesting I dealt with adjusting to the true student athlete

life based off of really tough circumstances, REALLY TOUGH, now somethings are best left

alone. In the midst of this, a global pandemic arose which really through a monkey in the wrench

of my year but, luckily at the time I was happy to come home. I knew I wanted to make a move

but, with a global pandemic I had no clue where. I discussed with coaches over the phone but,

they were scrambling and on pins and needles if they were being fur load or fired. Again, I

adjusted my mindset and focused on finishing the year strong with a 3.5, getting accepted to

Goldey Beacom’s Honor society, writing poetry, and trusting for the first time in my life, that

maybe my academics will do it for me.

Throughout this year I learned a lot about myself, I performed speeches, used my voice,

and spread a message that needed to be heard regarding race in America, got back into modeling,

and truly channeled the other talents in my life, that for so long I neglected. I ended up

transferring to Mercer County Community College for the year, all virtual, receiving a Division 2

basketball scholarship, and spent all my time and energy studying and getting ready for a hopeful

season, as I thought it would be my last chance at a basketball scholarship to a 4 year school,

well guess what that season never came due to COVID - 19  this year. Then, after holding my end of the

bargain doing my part getting the best grades possible which was my qualifying factor to keep

my basketball scholarship, my scholarship was pulled half way through the year, forcing my

parents to scramble and find ways to afford my schooling, during a pandemic, while selling our

home of 19 years and relocating. I debated on what to do but, I just kept working, specifically on

myself and on my game. I trained this year with my Uncle / Mentor Matt Reeves who besides

my mother, father, and grandparents, always kept me motivated, in good spirits, and never gave

up on me.

I battled a pandemic, watching people close to you sick and dying, 3 basketball injuries

this year, and for financial reasons moving out of my childhood home, and physically doing a lot

the moving ourselves. Dealing with an overcrowded, confusing, and non-constructive transfer

portal with over 3,000 athletes transferring in Division 1 alone, this made spaces slim. It’s been a

long road and I thought after my 3 rd injury, still no basketball scholarship, and applying to

multiple schools and being wait listed in not accepted by my top two choices and not hearing

back from any other schools, things felt like they were crumbling for me. But then I remembered

god would not have brought me through all this negativity and tough situations to give up on me

now. So, when working so hard this year, one semester receiving a 3.9 GPA I kept pushing for

basketball and never acknowledged what I was doing with my grades making the dean’s list, my

speeches, modeling, and other qualities.

One day my family and I received an arbitrary call from an admissions director that

stated to my mother and I that you have been accepted but, all of our scholarships are full, and

money has been alluded. The admissions person than transferred me to the Honors College and

stated well hey you can try but, there probably isn’t any money left. They transferred us and we

spoke to a woman for all of 5 minutes, she asked what’s your GPA? I stated 3.6, she yelled on

the phone and said thank you Jesus, we were perplexed with her response but, she than followed

up with, I want to offer you the Emily E. Clyburn Honors Scholarship and accept you into the

Honors College at South Carolina State University ! That woman was Ms. White, thank you!

The excitement, I had after hearing this news, took me two days to process and actual feel an

emotion from being numb. God states, with Prayer you need Action, I made sure this year that

with my prayer I took action to handle my business.

My mother ALWAYS stressed how my grades and other talents would one day make the

difference in a situation. Basketball actually pushed me to have the best grades possible, wanting

to achieve that goal so bad that it made me more determined in another area of my life. All this

year I stated, I wanted to go to an HBCU and it seemed as if none were accepting me, I wanted a

school in warm weather, it seemed as if I might’ve had to stay in the north, and I wanted to play

Division 1 basketball and guess what, I fell into a Division 1 school by default and now have an

opportunity to pursue that final goal and dream, you can’t tell me god doesn’t exist. There’s 10

million ways to skin a cat find that way for you, my education opened that door for me!

This year from watching many family members, friends, and people in your corner pass

from Covid – 19 was hard to watch. It was tough to watch and to not be able to visit family

members in the hospital and such. This year was like a blur, as if at times, things never

happened. Without the ability to visit relatives in the hospital or see people substantially or at all

it created a level of divide in my relationships with people and distanced our bonds. Covid

definitely has changed my entire perspective on life and my world is so different pre – covid.

I’ve adjusted tons of mental and physical events that have transpired in my life. I am still

adjusting as we speak but, I enjoy who I am becoming and growing through these tough times.