Happy Graduation Day...A Tribute To Future Movers and Shakers

On April 17, 2008 I had the pleasure of participating in the Young Women’s Conference Day at Murrell Dobbins Career and Technical High School. I along with other professional women was asked to volunteer a few hours of our morning to speak on the topic: Education…Fuel For Life.

The class I was assigned to was a small group of 12th graders. To break the ice I had each young lady tell me something about themselves and what their plans were for the future. As I listened to each of them share their plans for the future my heart burst with pride. Here was a group of beautiful, young, African American girls living and going to school in the inner city that society had written off. Statistics dictates that these young ladies most likely would have the propensity to be high school dropouts, single mothers, drug addicts or on welfare.

Well, I’m over thrilled to let you all know these young ladies weren’t having it! Each one of them had a road map for their lives that included college in the Fall. One young woman’s aspiration is to be a chef. Wouldn’t it be something if one day she aspired to a Master Chef! Fewer than one hundred chefs in this country hold this special certification. Another has plans on majoring in Business and becoming an entrepreneur. Just imagine ten to fifteen years from now she may be the owner of a Fortune 500 company!

The purpose of my being there was to encourage and inspire these young women by telling them of my journey of becoming a nurse practitioner and an author. I must say that being in their presence renewed my spirit. They encouraged my heart that our youth do have hopes and dreams. And they are willing to strive towards making them come true, ensuring a brighter future for us all.

On graduation day as these beautiful, young Black Queens walk into their destinies I wish them all the success and happiness they deserve. I may never see any of them again; however, I’m expecting wonderful things out of life for each and every one of them.

Peace and Blessings,

Victoria Wells