1/3rd a Lawyer.....

So, the grades are in. The summer has begun. Clerkship has started. 1L year is officially over. 




I have survived. I am happy. I am content. I did it. 


This year has been a whirlwind of stress and emotions but I conquered it. When I thought I couldn't do it, I proved that I could. 


I did not give up. I showed up and showed out. 


There aren't enough words to express who happy I am. 


Thank you to my husband Corey who is an amazing support system. Thank you to my mom who is my #1 supporter. Thank you to my son Jae for not chastising me for not being around as much :)


Thank you to Amy Brammell for being the best Twin Best Friend a girl can have. If I didn't have someone to share in this experience and allow me to lean on you at my low points, I may not have come out of this. 


Thank you to all the wonderful people I met this year. Raniyah, Dibora, Whit, Whip, Julie, Elizabeth, Lia, Greg, Shayan, Patty, Susan, Jocelyn, Leo, Veronica, Tiff, Brandon, Melanie, Adam, Olya ;), Camille, Jerrica, De, Del, Lafa, Kristen, Jimmy, and soooo many more people. 

Suspect

My beautiful baby boy who is spoiled and sheltered is already a suspect. He was born a suspect in this world. It is hard for me to listen to my peers who justify stereotyping blacks when they have never had to be black a day in their life. I do not want to be that angry black woman. It is not me but I am that WOMAN who will speak out against stereotypes and racism everyday of my life. I love human kind. I am not racist. You can't be on the outside looking in passing judgment against me who you don't know struggles. 


I would speak out for anyone whether they are brown, white, green, yellow or red. When I speak out or speak up for the African American community then I am being overly sensitive. 


Walk in my skin and see how long your views stay the same. 

1 year Anniversary!

Today marks a year that I have done the big chop and I am so satisfied with my decision. My hair is growing rapidly, healthy and I don't miss the creamy crack not a bit. 

There were rough patches were I momentarily wanted to go back but they were short lived. 

Going natural has been an awesome experience and I am so proud that I did it! 

Here is a photo timeline of my journey!!!!!! 

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Transition-to-our-natural-roots/122876514462181

Two days After the big chop and some color (Feb. 12th) 

Combed out (Feb 13th) *Special Day*

A few months later (April 2011)

June 2011

August 2011

September 2011

Collage September/October 2011

December 2011

Jan. 2012

Jan. 2011

Feb. 2012

Never will I fall......

Some people attack your integrity, try to pull you down, diminish your character. I have really felt the weight of negative energy swirling around me and instead of folding I continue to stand firm. 


People's opinions of me does not move me. It will not deter me from my path. It has only opened my eyes further. I regret allowing it inside my head. 


I wanted to give up. I felt defeated. It only lasted briefly. 


This is not me. I don't trip over obstacles I run around them. Never again will I allow the poison of disdain, anger, negativity, and ignorance seep inside my soul. 


I have grown from this experience and emerged a lot stronger and wiser. 


Thank you for giving me that push. It is all I needed. 

1L 2nd semester

So now is the time to evaluate what you did good or bad last semester and make some changes. 


This is a new semester, different classes but you now have experience under your belt. If you did good then you know how to manage and keep doing well. If you did less than satisfactory, it is only up from here. (Hopefully)


This new semester I have five classes, two volunteer positions and less money. At the least my stress level has elevated but I know what is needed. I know what needs to be adjusted. What worked and what did not work. 


I never learned how to properly study because my ability to understand new concepts have been great so far. This is something new. I tried new ways to study and some worked and some didn't. I was one of those students who went to class, studied for exams the night before and got a effect score. This isn't undergrad and I can't do that. I didn't do that but I still was unsure on how to properly study or if my method of studying was good or not. 


Grades were not perfect but they weren't bad either. I did good for my 1st semester and I am excited to do even better this new semester. I am more confident, have little bit more knowledge and some new techniques under my belt. 


I vow to make this semester my best of the year. First week was chaotic but glad to be in this position. Pursuing my dreams, completing my goals and expanding my knowledge. 

High Expectations

I was speaking to an incoming 1L and he was buying books at the SBA book sale. He needed a little help find his books so I helped him out. He told me who his teachers were and found out he has my same section. I began to give him advice on the teachers on what not to do, what to expect and the ends and outs and he kept stating "Oh I'm not worried, I was a great student in Undergrad". 


It took me to experience my 1st semester of law school to be able to say to him. "This is nothing like Undergrad". Law School is totally new experience. You don't come in prepared for law school. You can't expect to be a straight A student because when you get your first C your world as you know it may come crashing down. 


I understood where he was coming from. That was me last August. School has never been a challenge for me. I am a perfectionist but in law school I faced reality. I lowered my expectations so that I can see what I needed to improve and grow from my experience. 


Had I kept my expectations high, not getting an A in a class I felt I should have gotten an A would have prevented me from comprehending what I did wrong and how to go forth. That is not something someone can tell you because you will not receive what someone is telling you. 


I did not try to tell him to lower his expectations. Me and a friend reminded him that almost everyone in Law School was a straight A student but not everyone can get a A because Law School has a mandatory curve. Maybe he listened, maybe he didn't. Come June he will understand all to well what we meant.