Personal Advocacy Reflection

My grandmother was one of those people who seemed to advocate for everyone she met. She was very charitable, always putting the needs of others before her own. I can remember homeless families living with us while trying to get back on their feet, my grandmother taking blankets to the homeless who lived under the bridge near our house, and raising many of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, including me.

I was in foster care for a portion of my childhood. My mother had taken me and moved to another state, and when the Department of Social Services took me from her care, she told them she had no other family. After a few years, as my final foster family made plans to adopt me, my mother finally contacted my grandparents about the situation. They went through the process of obtaining custody of me, moving me back to South Carolina.

On my first day at my new school, I was so nervous that I bit my nails to the point that they were bleeding. My first introduction to my teacher was to ask for Band-Aids. As I adjusted to my permanent family and no longer had to move around, I began to thrive. Every day, I went to the same school, saw the same friends, and came home to the same house. It was my first taste of stability.

After a few years, my grandparents needed to move to a different neighborhood. I was slated to attend school in a new district. All of those old fears resurfaced and the change in stability terrified me. My grandmother wrote a letter to the School Board and went before them on my behalf, explaining the situation and how much I would benefit from the stability of remaining in the same district. I'd made friends and had a normal routine; disrupting that could be damaging to my emotional health. The School Board agreed, stipulating that I was not allowed to be late to school or to miss more than the average number of days, otherwise I would need to return to my designated district. My grandmother woke up early every morning to ensure that I was always on time to school.

I became the first person in my family to graduate from high school. I went on to earn a bachelor's, a master's, and a doctorate. I firmly believe that, had my grandmother not advocated so strongly on my behalf, none of this would have been possible. I will always be grateful to my biggest and best advocate.