I Am Alicia Worthy.
The girl that always knew she could.
A Brief Biography
It was on a beautiful summer day in June that my life changed forever. I sat on my bed with a sanguine expression across my face, as I daydreamed about how awesome my sophomore year was going to be at the historic Lanier High School in Jackson, Mississippi. I was a cheerleader and high achiever, whose high school career seemed bright and promising. I had high expectations for the upcoming school year, and I couldn’t wait to see my closest friends and teachers again. Then, my daydream was shattered by the piercing call from my mother in the living room. I rushed into the living room to see what she wanted; and upon arriving, she asked me to sit down on the couch. She had something to tell me.
My mother gazed at me with a solemn, concerned face, as she prepared to tell me what she wanted to say. “Alicia, I got the job in Atlanta,” she mumbled. “I’m taking it, and you’re coming with me.”
At this moment, my heart stopped. I couldn’t believe the words that were coming out her mouth, which was evident by my requests for clarification and pleads to stay in Jackson. Instead, she responded, saying that her decision was final and that my only choice was to come with her. My heart was broken. I spent the rest of that evening drowning myself in my tears.
On August 6, 2012, my mom and I arrived in Atlanta, every Jacksonian’s dream city and the land of opportunity and stardom. To me, it was a foreign country, where I was the lost, confused tourist. I’d never lived outside of Jackson; but now, I was forced to acclimate myself to a completely different environment, in which I wasn’t comfortable and disillusioned. I was alone without any friends, family, or mentors.
A week later on my first day of school, I stepped into the doors of Southwest DeKalb High School with a large amount of fear and expectation. Indeed, the hallways of Southwest DeKalb seemed to mirror my current situation. I felt like a Lilliputian in a land full of Gullivers. Everything was new to me, from the cafeteria lunch menu to the school curriculum. My sophomore year of high school was the exact opposite of what I wanted it to be, and I cried often during fits of homesickness. I felt like I would be an outsider for the rest of my life, until I heard an school announcement about the Simon Scholars. I met all the requirements, and I was especially encouraged to apply due to the scholarship that accompanied being chosen.
However, once I became a Simon Scholar, I realized that the organization is much more than a scholarship. It is a medium for change and self-improvement. Through the Simon Scholars Program, I have learned a host of life lessons that I’ve applied to my current situation. The program has provided me with leadership training and character-building tools, which I have used to deracinate my reserved nature, confront my fears and take charge in my life. The Simon Scholars program has helped me learn that change and displacement is essential for one to understand the true meaning of one’s purpose.
Today, I am no longer a shy and afraid but outspoken and humbled. My experiences have helped me realize that I must be more open to change and willing to learn from the adversity that life brings. If I hadn’t been ejected from the cozy nest of my hometown, I would’ve never known what it feels like to spread my wings and soar in unfamiliar surroundings. Adversity does not signal the end but the beginning and the time for one to reflect on experiences and learn from them. In reflection on my journey, I no longer view my displacement as a displacement but as a realigning preparation for what the future has in store.
The essay that you have just read is the personal statement that I wrote in high school. I used that very essay several times for college and scholarship applications that have helped me to get to where I am today, as an African American student at The University of Georgia. I chose to include that essay because I believe that it powerfully reveals my character in so many ways. Indeed, moving to Georgia, just three and half years ago, was one of the hardest things I’d ever faced. However, I have overcome that drastic change, largely in part to the Simon Scholars program. As a result, I have chosen to use the motto of the Simon Scholars program, “From Adversity to Accomplishment,” as the title and underlying theme of my family history project for my English 1102 class. This title not only reveals who I am and the journey that I’m taking to become a better person, but also reveals who my family is and the journey that my ancestors have taken to get us where we are today.
So, I suggest that you grab a cup of coffee or hot chocolate and snuggle up into a comfy spot in your home, because I have a compelling (and quite lengthy) story to tell. I hope that you will listen.
Enjoy! :)
