was born August 1978 in Tampa, Florida. My mother was a single parent who raised three children. We faced many challenges growing up. Around the age of five, my mother moved the family from Florida to South Carolina to be with my grandmother and grandfather for financial support. We eventually were able to move into our own house where we had no running water, but we had an outhouse as a bathroom and kept warm by using kerosene heaters during the winter months. My mother worked several jobs to survive and to take care of her thee children. We didn’t have much during the holidays. One Christmas, I remember receiving a used doll and my sister receiving a red purse from the Salvation Army. We rarely celebrated birthdays due to financial restraints but my mother endured. We were family and that was all we needed to survive.

Despite my broken childhood, I was able to graduate from high school. After High School, I left South Carolina to attend Bethune Cookman college in Daytona Beach,Florida. I vowed never to return to South Carolina. During my second semester, tuition increased, and I was no longer able to afford college. I did not have anyone to assist me with scholarships or grants, and I felt my high school did not prepare me for the college life. During college, I was getting paid through a work-study program, $4.25 an hour, but only working 3-4 hours a week. I was not able to live off of the income. I ended up leaving college only to return back to where I started, in South Carolina. I moved in with my sister, worked jobs and attended a community college during the day. I was determined to rise above and not let my circumstances define me. A year later, I walked into an Air Force recruiting office and joined eight months later. Later received my BSN from University of Texas.

I have experienced hurt, pain, low self esteem, childhood abuse, racism, and gender discrimination but through it all, I stand. I am the first person in my family to serve in the United States Air Force, and the first to become an officer in the military. All of my set backs were part of a plan for what God was trying to do in my life. He was preparing me for great success.

Education is key! Stay focused. Continue to push for the mark. Don’t let anyone define Who you are or tell you that you’re not good enough. You are here for a divine purpose. You have a unique gift to share with the world. Blossom where you are planted. You can be anything you set out to be, but you must have faith, perseverance, motivation, and determination.