Nijah Williams '21 Recruiting Profile

Graduating from eight grade, I showcased a face full of smiles perfectly covering up the hurt inside of me. When I walked across the stage to get my diploma, I noticed someone was missing from the seat next to my mom: my Aunt Kiana. 

My aunt was like my second mom. She took care of me when my mom had to work. She was the one who helped create my smiles. My smiles present my bubbly personality full of funny but stupid jokes. She made me half of who I am as a person. She taught me how to love unconditionally. She taught me to spread positivity. She gave me happiness.   

As a preteen, I was only concerned about barely passing my courses by the end of the school year , so I could have fun with my friends. However, the events in my life during my eighth grade year completely changed my mindset. The death of my aunt heavily impacted me, bringing me into a sad mourning space. I honestly didn’t care about anything. I didn’t care for anyone's feelings nor did I care for the things that were happening around me. It would take me about four months to find my way out of this dark place. Fortunately, I came to realize how my mindset was affecting my relationships with family and friends. My long period of silence and unhappiness started to make me feel the uncomfortable distance between my loved ones and myself. I wanted to be a supportive member of my family, but I struggled to overcome the absence of my second mom. Eventually, I started listening to the comforting words of my family, and I gradually began to accept my new circumstances.

There were many ways that I could have handled this pain, but I ultimately took the strongest route possible. This route meant that I had to meditate on positive things such as  joining a school sports team. I soon joined UCW’s basketball team because sports made me feel closer to her. One of our last memories together was with my aunt, her daughter, and me playing basketball together at the local park. Similarly, the basketball team also became a family to me. My teammates were my sisters. Beyond the court, my teammates gave me the courage to express my struggles with my aunt’s death. Surprisingly, my sports team taught me how to be open and honest with my emotions. 

In the end, the journey was a struggle. Starting high school without my aunt was painful, but I pushed through the hurt. I joined a few more extra-curricular activities that gave me a strong foothold to devote myself to school. Indeed, there were many bumps in the road. However, those challenges made me become a hard working, well-balanced young lady.