Having a Circle/Sisterhood of Successful Black Girls

This past week I celebrated my 30^th birthday in Las Vegas with 15 of my closest friends & family. It was an amazing experience to say the least. It was definitely one of the best birthdays I’ve ever had. As we were driving home from New Orleans I started to think about the impact those very same friends & family have had on my life. 13/15 of them are women I met in college (University of Louisiana at Monroe) or by way of my sorority (Delta Sigma Theta Sorority). A lot of times I cringe when I hear people talk in vain of their college experience or say college was a waste of time, because for me college was everything I needed at that time and at this time. However,  I do understand that not everyone gets the same experience, but let me tell you why the opportunity was life-changing for me…

See, I’m from a very small rural town and as a child educators were usually the only people I saw that I thought were successful. There wasn’t always a lot of representation or influence outside of educators, so when I went to college I started out as an English Education major. College provided me with a lot of exposure and opportunity. Going to college taught me that you can major in this and become this or you can major in that and become something else. The major/career combinations were almost endless. I could be more than an educator. I could actually be anything I want to be!

When I left home to go to college a lot of people said I would dropout and when I think about the lack of support (emotionally & financially) as well as the lack of many other resources those people had some high predictions. But see, college has an amazing way of connecting you to a community who will guide and influence you. I am almost certain being surrounded by others striving for success is contagious. I saw others working hard, so I wanted/started working hard. I saw others making the dean’s/president’s list so I wanted to make those same lists. Even as a member of a sorority, I wanted my chapter to have the highest GPA after seeing other orgs at the top of the list. There were always these academic challenges with myself and among others that kept me in the fight to graduate until I made it across that stage. College was life changing for me and the friendships I formed in college were also lifechanging. Most of my friends from college are my sorority sisters, in particularly, my linesisters. Among my line are Dental Hygienists, Therapists, Social Workers, Pharmacists, Dentists, Program Managers, Business Owners, Nurses, Operators, and so much more. Being around other successful black girls inspires and pushes me to also become a successful black girl. Attending college and meeting such wonderful women at ULM has been one of greatest influences in my life. I’m not saying you have to attend college or join a sorority to be successful. I do encourage you to find your tribe, circle, support, sisterhood of like women, because birds of a feather flock together and iron definitely sharpens iron.