No Longer a Miniority by india

No Longer a Miniority by india - July 2016 Scholarship Essay

The most important lesson I've learned from Mrs.Brown, my teacher in high school is that "You're going to an Historically Black College/ University (HBCU) , everyone there is black so that doesn't make you special anymore in this case. Use your talent to stand out." At the time I was about to graduate from James Madison memorial high school in Madison,WI where my school was majority white and I was the only black person in my class sometimes. In a few months I would be attending Morgan State University in Baltimore,Maryland. I didn't understand why I would have to stick till I got to my HBCU and then I understood.

Coming from a mostly white high school to a university where everyone around me was African American like I was it was a bit of a culture shock. I could no longer join an all black club to keep safe and fit in because everyone at my university looked like me I was no longer "special" because everyone was relatable and had similar struggles. As the semester went on I could see what my Mrs.Brown was talking about when I applied for scholarships at school or certain leadership positions. They would ask me what made me stand out from everyone else and right when I was about to tell them my hardships of being a black woman they would stop me and tell me the story was played out and they wanted personality and leadership skills that had nothing to do with color. Being in a majority white area and school made me think that since I was rare my personality and what I brought to the table wasn't that important because jobs and certain positions need more African American employees, so why bother right? Now, as a rising junior at Morgan State University I am able to go to interviews or talk about what makes me different from my other African American peers. I can now say that I have qualities that set me apart from everyone else.