Growing up in Jacksonville, Florida, I never felt there was a concrete effort shown within the community to praise high educational standards.

As a result, many graduating high school students chose not to pursue a college education, but instead, stayed within the city working locally with no plans of progression. I found myself nearly falling into this same mold as I applied for the local community college while working up to 50 hours at my local Winn-Dixie.

It wasn’t until the end of Fall 2010 that I realized the importance of having an education and becoming a leading example for all of those within my community. Once my transfer application was accepted at Florida State University, I immediately enrolled in classes that challenged my prior understandings of life and forced me out of my comfort zone.

It was at Florida State University and the College of Education where I found the passion and drive for involvement within the field of education; a drive that was fueled by my new knowledge of how much of an impact having a good education could have on someone. The knowledge, understanding, and experiences that come with gaining an education is what builds the foundation of our society… and I wanted to a part of that building process.

Since my enrollment at FSU, I’ve had the opportunity to attain numerous leadership roles: Student Body Vice President, 2014 Homecoming Chief, Vice President of the Executive Board of Seminole Student Boosters, Chairman of the FSU Campus Recreation Board, and more. I also stay involved with my community. I hope that I can be a role model for transfer students and my story can inspire others in similar situations to pursue higher education.