When i fist came to Queens College, my intent was to finish college and get a job (after I figured out that law school was not the right place for me). I couldnt see past the “absolute necessity” of finding a job so that I could make money and better my self. I still want to find a job and better myself, but now I feel that I have a vested interest in helping the rest of the world better them selves as well. I am applying to grad school in the fall to study political theory in hopes of making a dent in the human rights debate surrounding North Africa. I have even began to study Arabic.
The aforemention goals surely illustrates how changed I was by my experience. I mean I can actually locate the United Arab emirates on a map, and that is to say alot for a black kid who spent half of her childhood years in growing up in the Far-Rockaway projects where the only things worse than the projects themselves is the education one’s child recieves.
Perhaps though I had an advantage. Unlike other most other minorities who have had to “figure it out” by themselves or who were subject to the not so wise advise from relatives, I have had an amazing mentor and in addition to that, my mother was also a inspirational example to me. It was after all her hard work that brought her family out of the projects into the middle class suburbs of laurelton.