"Taylored Truths"

As I got into high school, things started to come together in a more meaningful way. All the hard work I put in began to show, especially when I made my first varsity high school team. That moment meant everything because it proved to me that I was capable of more than I sometimes believed. From there, I kept building,earning Second Team All-District and Second Team All-Conference honors, which felt like recognition not just for my performance, but for everything I had overcome to get there. Those milestones opened doors for me, including receiving a partial scholarship to Harris-Stowe State University. That opportunity wasn’t just about playing at the next level, it was a reminder that staying committed, even through challenges, can lead to something bigger.

Losing my mother on April 24, 2020, changed my life in a way that nothing else ever could. As a pastor’s kid, I grew up feeling like I had to be an example for everyone else. strong, put-together, and “okay” no matter what I was going through. I learned early on how to carry myself with strength, even when I didn’t feel it. I held myself to this quiet expectation that I couldn’t fall apart, that I had to keep going for everyone around me. But loss has a way of testing that strength. After my mom, I experienced more heartbreak, losing my friend Shayne Burrows on December 19, 2022, someone I went to U-City with, and then my cousin Lakeshia on March 7, 2025. Each loss hit differently, but they all left a mark on me. Through it all, I kept pushing forward, even on the days it felt impossible, learning how to carry grief and strength at the same time.