They say that our life experiences contribute to making us who we are. If that’s the case, then I think it’s important for people to know where I’ve been, where I am now, and where I am going.

THE PAST

I was born and raised in an Lawrence MA, an asylum immigrant city which is one of the poorest cities in the state. My mother raised me and my siblings alone, but really she had the amazing backing and support of my family to make sure that we didn’t become statistics. Growing up, I had to overcome many things such as being the child of an incarcerated parent, surviving sexual assault, mental health disorders, growing up surrounded by poverty, and losing a friend to gang and gun violence.

THE PRESENT

While experiences could’ve derailed me, I decided to turn scars into stars by doing the very things that I was told I could never do. I graduated from Emmanuel College with a degree in Biology with a concentration in Neuroscience, became the first black Miss Massachusetts in the Miss America Organization, competed on national television at Miss America where I won the STEM Award, Preliminary Interview and Onstage Question Award, People’s Choice, and finished as fourth runner-up to Miss America!

THE FUTURE

At the age of 23 years old, I have just gotten started. Using my ability to connect with others and my gift as a public speaker, I plan on motivating people like me who have felt like there is no place for them in this world. In the new age of social media, I will shamelessly share my thoughts, triumphs, lessons, and heart with others because while my life has been far from perfect, I’ve learned that a bad day doesn’t mean I have a bad life and since I only get one shot at life - I might as well live it and share it.