Cohort: 4
Where are you from?
I’m from Chicago and was raised predominately on the Northwest side.
Why did you decide to apply to NPEP?
I decided to apply because I matured and grew through many days of self-reflection during my incarceration. I’ve come to realize that, through my experiences, I have been set on a path to help others and the desire to effect change in inner-city youth has grown with that realization. Before I came across NPEP, I had a dream but it wasn’t easy to see how I could bring it to fruition. Once I read what NPEP was about and what the program offered, I instantly knew this was the way to not only continue my own progression but to attain the tools needed to be recognized as more than a dreamer.
What does being a part of NPEP mean to you?
Being a part of NPEP means my future is clear. It also gives me a feeling of being human again and having power over my life that I haven’t felt in a long time, if ever.
What are you most looking forward to as an NPEP student?
I am most looking forward to learning all the things I do not know and being challenged to be the most confident, best version of myself. I want to be a guiding beacon to show I am not the sum of my mistakes — and neither is anyone else.
What is something you would like others to know about you as a student?
I can be tough on myself because I expect a lot out of myself. I want to do better with every chance I get at something because I always believe I’m capable. I never give up.
What is a fact about yourself that others might find surprising?
I am an aspiring author and poet who now has dreams of being a clinical therapist one day. I want to use my experiences and creativity to help others heal and grow.