In 1996, when I was only a baby, my country was going through a brutal civil war and my grandmother hid with me in the forests of rural Sierra Leone to avoid being attacked by rebels.

Because I was sick and crying, the rebels found us and held me and my grandmother at gunpoint threatening to kill us. My grandmother gave them everything she had and through some miracle they did not kill us.

Growing up I was always reminded of that story and how lucky I am to be alive. But I never thought I would be lucky enough to be graduating from university in the United States of America and to be fearlessly chasing a passion that jolts me with energy.

 I am so honored to have been blessed with the opportunities that I have been given and the people that I have met while schooling here at St. Edward’s University.

My whole life has been a series of unmerited favors that I can only credit to the Lord God Almighty. He has used many people to bring those blessings to me and I am forever grateful.

I am grateful to Jena Heath for believing in me and in my abilities- sometimes more than I believed in myself. At a time when I was at a crossroads in choosing a career path, she pointed me in the direction of journalism and I fell in love. I have not doubted that path since.

Thank you, Jena for being a mentor, a friend, an inspiration and irresistibly a mom. You have taught me to boldly take charge of my leadership position and stand tall in the face of intimidation. You have been an inspiration in the classroom and out. Thank you for presenting me with life changing opportunities. You are God sent.

God also sent me a group of 3 angels who decided to embark on a wild dream I had of being a talk-show host. Myrka Moreno, Gabrielle Wilkosz and Jovahana Avilla, thank you all for joining me to make Chivas Chit-Chat a reality.

Thank you for being dedicated to learning and discussing a variety of issues from the tampon tax to the Syrian crisis. Throughout this experience we have formed a bond that I could not have imagined.

Myrka, you are on of my favorite humans. You have a beautiful spirit that is contagious. Please understand that you are more than enough. I cannot wait to see the amazing woman that you evolve into. Gabrielle, you are so brilliantly critical in a way that pushes me to think deeper about issues. Jovi, you are such a fearless go getter. You chase your dreams with tenacity and that is inspiring.

You girls are some of the most brilliant young women I have met. If the future looks like you, then I am excited for it.

To Lilli, my love, thank you for being the comic relief that is often needed around the Hilltop Views office.

Victoria, you are so brilliant and determined. You are one of the best student journalists that I have seen. Thanks for staying up late to talk feminism, race relations and sexuality with me.

To the rest of the staff, thank you for challenging me.

All that I do is for the betterment of my country and my people. So, to all of you who have influenced my education in some way, please know that you have not only helped me but an entire nation of people.  I am grateful.

In these last days at SEU, I look back on what has been one of the greatest experiences of my life and I realize that luck is not a sufficient enough explanation for how I got to this point. I am incredibly blessed.