Nominations

Nominated by Jessica Newsome

Excelling in academics, being a faithful and active member of New Life Christian Fellowship-Denver, being a changemaker. Was a forerunner in the name change of DSST Montview, and due to preserving through all hurdles that come her way.

My Black Colorado Interview

What school do you attend? How old are you? What year are you in school? 

I’m 15 years old, and I’m a sophomore at East High School.

What do you think others would say they like about you the most, and why? 

I feel like other people would say they like how persistent I am with what I want to do. If I have a goal in mind, then I make sure I reach it eventually. For example, this summer with COVID-19 and everything going on, I really wanted a job, even before it all happened. But it kind of made it a lot harder to get one. But, by the end of the summer, I had two jobs, and I was doing pretty good. 

When you’re not in class, what are things you enjoy being involved with and why? 

I like being involved with my church, New Life Christian Fellowship. I just feel like it’s a really uplifting thing to do. They really help out with the youth. I also like being involved in different engineering camps and programs.

Tell me more about the camps and programs you’re involved in.

I want to be a chemical engineer when I grow up, and be a part of the camps that build that foundation. They let you have fun, you get to do a lot of hands-on things, and just learn a lot.

Would you like to say anything more about your spiritual background? 

I attend New Life Christian Fellowship, and I’ve been going there for a couple of years now. I just really like it there because it’s not like a lot of churches because it’s not really traditional. They’re uplifting, and they make sure the youth who go there, grow up to be well-rounded people. 

What is the best advice that someone has given you recently? 

I feel the best advice is probably something my mom said to me. She said whatever you put out into the world is what you get in return. So you just have to block out all the negative energy and just make sure you’re putting good things into the air. That’s what you get back. 

What do you think is one thing you can get better at? 

I can get better at stepping out of my comfort zone a lot more. Sometimes I would just not do certain things simply because I haven’t done it before, but I’m going to stop doing that. 

What is one piece of advice you think adults need to hear to help them connect with the younger generation better? 

I feel like adults really need to understand that life changes. What I mean by that is, the same thing you went through ten years ago, isn’t what the next generation is going to go through. 

What accomplishments are awards are you most proud of and why?

I feel like I’m most proud of being a part in the DSST Montview name change. That’s one of my biggest accomplishments so far. In addition to the name change, there are other accomplishments like being on the radio and being featured in someone’s book. 

Can you talk more about the name change and your role with the whole initiative to change the name of DSST?

So DSST is where I went to middle school from sixth grade through eighth grade, and originally, it was named DST Stapleton for the area. In seventh grade, my writing teacher told us we’re going to do a project about Ben Stapleton. At that time, I didn’t really know a lot about Ben Stapleton. So when we got deeper into it, she told us that he was a Ku Klux Klan member. Then we had to write essays about how we felt about it, and how we would feel if we could change the name of our school. At that time, I didn’t think it would blow up how it did. There were a couple of students who were nominated to be representatives for this name change, and we were able to present to the board and a lot of other people for awareness. I was one of the people chosen to advocate for it after writing my heartfelt essay. When I reached eighth grade, they finally decided to change the name of the school to DSST Montview.

What role have your parents had in your growth and development? 

I feel like my mom has definitely had a big role because even when I wasn’t doing as good as I am now, she always encouraged me to look at the brighter side of things. She pushed me to become the best person I am today. The same thing goes for my grandma because no matter what I was going through, she would always brag about me and always say things like, “Look at what she’s doing. She’s actually changing the world!” I think knowing there are people who really are proud of you and see something in you, pushes you and makes you want to do good things. 

Is there anything else you want to share about things you’re involved in either at school or after school programs or any more accomplishments or awards that you’re proud of? 

I’m pretty proud that during this whole pandemic, I’ve managed to get straight A’s!