WHEN THEY GIVE UP ON YOU,YOU DON'T HAVE TO GIVE UP ON YOURSELF!

May 9th,2004 was one of the most testimonial experiences of my life. It had been three days after Junior prom, I won the title of prom queen, I was very reputable at school and life was great for such an extraordinary 16 year old like myself. But everything  soon  took a turn for the worst. That was the day my entire life changed. I was arrested,and expelled from all Baltimore City Public Schools forever. I was distraught by the events that had taken place for a few reasons:  This was the second time I allowed someone to be a victim of my angry rage, I destroyed a friendship with someone at the result of my fist, and there was a point where I honestly believed that I had entered the statistic of a young black FAILURE. This was a time in my life where I hit ROCK BOTTOM. I was told that because I had a record,I would never have the opportunity to get a good job, and college simply became a fiction of my imagination. But I didn't let my circumstance define me.  Everyone I was connected to GAVE UP on me, but I refused to GIVE UP on myself. I tell my story because I want you to know that JUST BECAUSE YOU START AT THE BOTTOM,DOESN'T MEAN YOU CANT END UP ON TOP! I never allowed people to define my character just because of the poor decisions that I made. Sometimes in order to grow, we must first make mistakes and acknowledge that there is always room for improvement. By the grace of GOD,  I was fortunate enough to graduate from a top tier all girls high school in Baltimore Maryland,and was accepted into my Alma Mater, Clark Atlanta University. People never imagined I would come out of this  situation as a winner,but because I wasn't willing to GIVE UP on myself, I learned from MY mistakes and became the person I am today. People always tell me that they couldn't imagine the past I had because of my character and I simply tell them, "Its not the situation that defines you as a person,its how you learn from it."Through it all, I HAVE LEARNED, and it has blessed me to minister my story to someone else. Donald Lawrence and the Tri-City singers said it best "Sometimes you have to encourage yourself". Be blessed and remember, WHEN THEY GIVE UP ON YOU,YOU DON'T HAVE TO GIVE UP ON YOURSELF!