The Biography of Asia Millette by Germain McConnell

When Dr. McConnell opened up to us and told us his life story, it was almost as if he were telling my story; one sibling (multiple from father), strong single mother, absent father yet strong paternal grandmother presence. He really nailed my life. I just want to say that stories like his further prove my point that single black mothers can successfully raise children by themselves. But it also reminds me that you can do anything if you have a good support system; whether it's your family (like in Dr. McConnell's case) or an outside source (like programs such as Leadership Enterprise for a Diverse America [LEDA], Prep for Prep, or Big Brother, Bis Sister).

As far as a strong support system, I wish I got more support from my family. My mother is a down-for-whatever mom that supports me in everything I do. Whether it was kickboxing, tennis, dance, step, cheerleading, bellydancing, whatever, she was there. She even would have bought me the shoes if I wanted to take up riverdancing. But the rest of my family (not all but the vast majority) are just haters. It's like crabs in a barrel, they cant do well for themselves so they want to pull me back or just be very jealous rather than supportive. Despite the ill wishes coming from every direction (my family, administrators at my school, my peers), I know I'm going to overcome everything and be successful. And I wont forget the people that stood beside me when I needed them (mainly my mom).

Back to having a strong mom. (I am trying to organize my thoughts but my thoughts are scattered). Dr. McConnell shared with us that his mom didn't finish high school but possessed great common sense. My mom is like that in many ways but different in others. She did graduate high school but she knew that my grandmother couldn't afford to send her to college (there were 9 of them) so she went to the military to continue her education. She's always preached to my brother and I that if she had the opportunity to go to college, she would have but she knows the importance of education and found any means possible to obtain it. So no my mom doesn't have a college degree but she's one of the most intelligent people I know. She's wise and her life experience surpasses anything that any professor could have taught her in a classroom. I'm trying not to tear up as I write this but my mom inspires me so much that it is hard for me not to get emotional when I'm talking about her.

I have to say that Dr. McConnell was one of my favorite speakers. He kept it real with us and even though the talk was supposed to be centered around him and his experiences, he asked us questions about ourselves that went above and beyond the "state your name, hometown, grade level, and major" questions that we are used to being asked. Two of us fought back the tears as we explained to him what we are passionate about. He even drew tears out of one of us. It didn't stop there; he said he wants to talk to us some more and figure out our own stories, what makes us tick. He's another person here that I feel I can talk to. Just this morning I went into his office and we were just talking about how our weekends went.

I guess in the end I want to get across the idea that I can identify with Dr. McConnell's story and because of that, he was one of my favorite speakers.