When you meet me today, you see a strong, driven, and passionate Black woman, confident in her abilities and eager to help others. But if you strip away the fancy titles and degrees, you'll find a different story. A story that could have taken a very different turn.

Tragedy struck early in my life with the loss of my father to gun violence, just six months after my birth. Despite these challenges, I was blessed with a determined mother who refused to let circumstances dictate our destiny, who ensured I had everything I needed to be successful.

But my path to success wasn't without its challenges. When I was in third grade, my mother moved my brother and me from the inner city of Reading, PA to the suburbs. It was there that I was introduced to racism. Thankfully, I discovered the power of my voice and used it to navigate me ever since.

High school and college became transformative phases in my life. I was always eager to learn something new and utilized my natural gifts and talents in leadership and advocacy to create opportunities for myself that would have otherwise been out of reach. From becoming the drum major of my high school marching band to being the captain of my college's cross country and track and field teams, I was led to leadership.

When I made the decision to pursue law and attend law school, I thought I had everything figured out. But my confidence took a blow when my LSAT scores were lower than anticipated. I felt like a failure! I didn’t believe I was valuable and worthy. I questioned whether I was good enough to be a lawyer.