Sunshine Spotlight
Expand AllHow would you describe your experience with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County?
I would describe it as a hopeful journey. The Club has instilled in me the value of having hope.
Throughout my experience, I've always known that I would have the skills and knowledge to do what I
wanted because of the staff members' faith in me.
Is there a message or mantra that inspires you?
In my current journey as a college freshman, my favorite message to remember is: "It's impossible
to have failures, but it is possible to have setbacks." If something in life doesn’t happen when or
how I wanted it to, I look at it as a setback. If I look at it as a failure, sometimes my motivation
decreases, but knowing that there’s a setback on my journey makes me want to accomplish my goal
more.
Was there a woman who inspired you when you were growing up? And who inspires you now?
Two amazing women have inspired me: my mother and grandmother. I've seen parts of what my
grandmother did for work in the agricultural fields surrounding [my hometown of] Belle Glade, which
has inspired me to further my education and do well at whatever I'm doing because life is not always
easy with your education. My mother has shown me the value of hard work. I've seen her work so hard
to provide for her family and make sure we lack nothing—that has lit a fire in me to do the same for
her. They both still inspire me to this day.
When do you feel most authentically you?
I feel most authentically me when I'm expressing my ideas for those who need help the most. I
know that I have a calling to help those in need and help people realize what they can do in life.
When I'm able to do that while putting a smile on others’ faces, I feel like I'm me. I'm also me
when I'm around family and friends. I appreciate laughing, enjoying the memories we've made, and
picturing the memories we can make in the future.
What is your most prominent dream to achieve?
My biggest dream right now is to become the Mayor of Belle Glade, Florida. Although I have a
vision of becoming a politician, I also want to help people in underserved communities. I dream of
starting an organization that serves the youth in communities who feel like they have no voice. I
want to be the bridge between those communities and elected officials, help educate them on the
available resources, and bring more resources to those communities, so that their youth have better
experiences.
