Capstone E-portfolio

When I first got to Howard University I was an 18 year old who thought they had the world completely figured out. I saw myself as a confident high achieving high schooler who had figured out exactly what my next steps in life were. I thought I would walk into Howard with a million interests, a boatload of new organizations I would join, and a major I would both love and be able to breeze through. But, that is not exactly what happened. In my four years at Howard I have learned so much about life and its many adversities that fester up. I learned about myself and how important it is to find a healthy medium between being your own most passionate agitator and hater and letting your foot off the gas completely. 

If I could go back to that kid and tell him what to prepare for I would tell him about the importance of breathing and centering yourself. I’d hope to tell him to stop always believing the world is going to crash down on you and that its all your fault. Sometimes that will be the case, as is the nature of life, but it is not nearly as much as you make it out to be. I would tell him to trust himself and to stop making things difficult for himself by hiding things. But, he probably wouldn’t listen. 

Overall when I think about my last four years at Howard I think of the wonderful sense of community I have gained since being at this school, and most of that I think through my accomplishments. A lot of my proudest moments in these last 4 years all have to do with the Howard Mock Trial Team. An academic sport which I fell in love with as a freshman and have never given up on in my 4 years. We’ve made it to our nationals qualifying round twice, and I’ve been lucky enough to be named an all regional attorney for the work that I have done and I hope that in my last year on the team I am able to go all the way one last time. Whenever I’ve truly felt like I had no one there for me the one thing I always had were the constant practices and the constant drive to win motivated me in ways I did not know were possible. 

I love Howard university and my time here for all the ups and all the downs. I love that I have had to work hard for everything that has been put in front of me. I am happy that I have been able to collaborate with and meet people who will be world altering doctors, lawyers and journalists. And I am most importantly happy that I have been able to do all of this surrounded by Black people who all know exactly what the Blackness means.