Chapter 1:

Bell rings!

An eruption of kids rushing down to the classrooms.

Everybody trying to find their assigned seat.

Me sitting in the back at a desk with a colorful name tag with my name on it.

Mrs. Digurgis speaking to the side of my head causing the words to flow through one ear to
another.

My eyes were locked in on trying to figure out the shape of the clouds in the sky, rather than the
shape of the letters in the alphabet.

My views were filtered through a clear reflective material, that allowed me to see the flow of the
20 foot trees, but never able to feel the wind blowing them.

All he does is look outside He doesnt pay attention in class I dont think he should move up
to the next grade.

In kindergarten, my teacher told my parents I wasnt capable of understanding the basic

concepts. I respond with me still needing to be held back. I dont choose, I simply just cant learn
the way society programs each person to learn like.
Growing up, most peoples views and beliefs are influenced by their parents. But
independent thinking begins when the parents arent around. My views, unlike most, didnt
begin in a kindergarten classroom. Kindergarten typically is the time when a child begins to
develop early behavior and social skills. Those skills tend to shape a persons adulthood. For
some kids, starting kindergarten can be scary, exciting, sad etc. For me, I entered not knowing
how to feel about school. It all started with my motivations to be there. Im wasnt the kid who
would go beyond my means to understand the basic concepts. Im was kid who would do the
bare minimum, just to make sure I wouldnt get in trouble with my parents. My education was
motivated based on the simple fact of making my parents proud. Now, not that this is some
unusual thing. But even now, I still catch myself thinking with the same mindset.
Early on, I gained a lot of my views and beliefs from people around me. That wouldve
included my brother and the kids in my neighborhood. With me being the youngest, I was forced
to grow up faster than most kids. Theres times Im thankful for my upbringing because I gained
a more mature personality early on but then theres times I wish I wouldve grew up with kids
the same age as me because sometimes I have a hard time connecting with people the same age
as me. I grew up with creative and intelligent kids. We created a neighborhood club where we
would organize lemonade stands, carwashes, music videos, field trips, etc. Every thought was

possible in our eyes. I had to up my level of creativity in all ways just to keep up in the
conversations. I always had a chip on my shoulder because I always had to prove myself. I was
younger than everybody, and I wanted my friends who were older than me notice that and not
feel like it was a chore to hangout with me.
The importance of this stage of my life really introduced the type of learner I
am and what actually sparks my interest.

Chapter 2:
Bran! Come down here. Check out this song

Dads grin

Not fully understanding but vibing

One more song

Mom entering Oh no you didnt This is my jam

Laughing Immediately

Love

Not realizing the foundation thats being constructed until now

The 2nd pivitol stage in my life was about ten years old. At ten, I began playing the drums.
This was my first art form I can claim as a passion. Rooted through the church, I was given the
opportunity to learn from great musicians. My brother being six years older than me and being
somewhat of a child prodigy, gave me an example of what having a passion looks like. Im
thankful for having my brother in my life because he challenged me to be apply myself more to
my passion. His obsession with music was something that took me a while to gain because of the
distractions I was blinded by.
Music is something my family holds high. My dad is a strong music lover who collects
LPs. He loves soul, r&b, jazz, and most of all funk. He installed what quality music was in my
brother and I at a very young age. He made sure we knew what the golden eras of music. I
appreciate him for that. My mom is a jazz/gospel singer. Her love for music is coming more from
the performing side. Shes someone, unlike my dad, whos more open to new music and sounds.
She helped me realize that great music comes from all areas, and even if you I couldnt
necessarily connect to it, I still can appreciate it. Lastly I want acknowledge a close familyfriend, Wadie Ervin. Without him, I wouldnt be the person I am today, especially musically. He
was the person who taught me how to play the drums. Hes always been a person who challenged
me while also encouraging me to become a better musician.
This stage was very important to who I am because it initially created my love for music.
God has placed eye opening people in my life to show me where I should be in the years to
come. With music being my primary way of communication and expression, its hard at times

when my attention cant fully be focused on creating. Getting an education is important to me and
my family but I find times where I dont necessarily know why Im pursuing a higher education
and not pursuing what I love.

Chapter 3:
Colorful walls

Walking into a jungle blind

Loudness

Foreign

Didnt talk, just observant

Fearful

The 3rd pivitol stage in my life was 8th grade year. The year right before high school The
first year I ever went to a public school. This year was the most important year socially for me.
Walking into a jungle like environment, I was easily noticed to be uncomfortable. The amount of
students and manor in which these students spoke in was something I never seen before. Other
than the environment, I easily recognized the other side, the other side being poverty. Private

schooling tends to shield students away from the poverty, being surrounded mostly by middle
classed/upper classed students. Through the first few months I began to realize how privileged I
was. Im obviously grateful for what my family can provide for me but its important to know
how I can contribute to the necessary change needed for less lower class families. Id say it was
an eye opening experience for me.
Another reason why 8th grade was so important to my story is because it was my first
introduction to film. I took a screenwriting class. This class showed me how difficult it is to be a
writer, but the creative process was fun to me. It was so free flowing. It was the first time I was
given the opportunity to release any idea that came to my mind without any expectations. I
cherished that class because even then I fear this was an opportunity that Ill never be able to
have again while being in the school system.
Donte Feilder was my screen writing teachers name. Donte was the only black-male
teacher at the school. His goal was to show how important creativity was. He stressed the fact
that being a creative differentiates yourself from fellow students striving for the same goals as
you. He was also very involved in pushing students of color to achieve more while in school. He
built a unique connection with every black-male student that went through his class. It felt as if
he didnt want any student of color to leave the class without him gaining a understanding/a
piece of who you are. I look back and appreciate Donte for opening my sights to being a creative
human being.

Chapter 4:

Walking up what felt like a hundred flights of stairs

Having two boxes in each hand

Hearing the excitement in everybodys voice

Meeting my roommate

Everybody being called into the common area

Uncomfortable

Not remembering one name anybody told me that day

Hanging with my friends

Open-minded. Welcoming all the challenges

The fourth stage in my life I feel represents the person I am is me right now. Coming to
the end of my freshman year of college, I learned so much about myself. I gained a lot of new
friends and also lost a lot of good friends. This year Ive learned the importance of self love. For

most my life, I lived with this hatred in my soul towards myself. I didnt truly know how
important loving yourself was until my enrollment in to PSU. I faced a lot of internal battles that
uplifted my spirit for the most part. This year my faith, my passion, my love for myself and
others, and even my relationship with my family were tested. Being on my own this year created
this uncomfortable feeling that I feel is necessary for anybody who wants to grow.
The person I feel influenced me the most this year was my close friend Christian Russo.
He was also a musician that loved all kinds of music. Christian and I really connected the first
few days of us moving in. He was the first person here to support my music. He helped build the
confidence to believe in my talents and myself. Having tons of opposing views, we would argue
a lot. He showed me the importance of knowledge by challenging whatever Im said. He was a
very open-minded person, and never feared being wrong which allowed him to understand from
others perspectives. Before he left to follow his dream of traveling the world, I never got the
chance to truly thank him for the impact he had on my life.
Chapter 5:
Writing this prompt was very difficult for me in many ways. First, trying to trace my past
to find the significant parts I feel represent who I am was frustrating. Then trying to piece
everything together was also taxing. And lastly feeling like theres so much more I want to tell
but not being able to. Writing isnt the platform to express myself. These 4 stages in my life
showed me how important it is to love yourself and to stay true to yourself. My desired platform
to express myself in would be music. With music, I never struggle to find the words necessary to
express myself. Its impossible to fully understand who I am through this paper. Im not being
fair to the audience reading this and to myself. Before entering college, I thought getting a

education would be a more free flowing in the way of choosing what you want to do and how
you want to do it. It took me awhile to realize how any form of systemic education isnt free
flowng. Theres always an agenda that needs to be followed. I can already see the time where Im
going to need to choose to either go through the educational system or eventually pursue my
dreams.