Follow Your Heart by Tanishia

Follow Your Heart by Tanishia - May 2014 Scholarship Essay

As a child, I was always taught that holding a position of servitude would give me the most fulfillment in life. Like many school aged children, I was introduced to careers in the healthcare and education fields. I grew up believing that the best way that I could help others was to become a doctor so that I could save lives.

I excelled in elementary school and was accepted into pre-medical studies for middle and high school with included advanced courses. When applying for college, I was accepted into pre-medical studies at Xavier University, but decided to attend the University of South Florida with the same major.

As a freshman in college, I took an elective course called the Introduction to the Black Experience. I thought to myself "wow, I'm black so what can this course teach me that I don't already know". Well, to my surprise, the course taught me a lot. It enlightened me on things that had never even crossed my mind such as my perception of beauty and how I came to the conclusion of what was beautiful. It opened my eyes and showed me just how much influence the media had on not only young, but older impressionable minds.

Because of this course, I considered changing my major from pre-medical studies to Africana Studies. I discussed this with my parents and they were in dismay. "How could that help you in the future Tanishia", they asked. "What type of job can you get?" "What happened to your career plans?"

I was saddened and confused. I had told my parents basically my whole life that I would grow up and be a doctor and now I was backing out of a promise I made to them.

Lost, I went to one of my professors who eventually became the dean of Africana Studies. I asked her to please give me guidance. She told me "Tanishia, at the end of the day, this is your life, these are your student loans, this is your time, follow your heart."

I thought about what she said and I did just that. After all, if I was spending all this money to go to college and get an education, what better subject to learn than about myself. And in the end, I could help others just like me who was obliviously to how in one way or another we learn self hate because of the darkness of our skin, the fullness of our bodies or the wideness of our nose.