My Life, Your Story: Proud to be a Brown Knight

The My Life, Your Story program is a Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) initiative through its Office of Reentry Services. The program highlights the transformation of DJJ youth and grants them a conduit to reach other youthful offenders and at-risk teens. The following from a DJJ youth illuminates various nuances of wisdom and grants other opportunities to learn from these lessons. 

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MY LIFE YOUR STORY: PROUD TO BE A BROWN KNIGHT

I am a Brown Knight. I go to Morris Brown and it took some trials and tribulations to get where I am today. If you would have asked me two or three years ago, I probably would have told you that I would have been a psychiatrist.

But, last year around September 15th, I was homeless.

I went from trying to figure out who I was and staying with my mom to her putting me out on the streets.

During that time, I called my grandma and during our talk she said, "I'm going to buy you a bus ticket (to stay with me)."

I said no. There was something out there that I was trying to find out for myself.

It took months for me to find myself and, in doing so, I decided to go back to school.

I'm only 17.

I dropped out of school at 16.

Going back, I had 12 classes to finish and I finished all 12 classes in one month.

Trying to figure out what to do, I know that I wanted to be a trauma surgeon.

During this time, Dr. James Allen came to my graduation and asked me if I wanted to be a Brown Knight.

I said, "I don't know what that is."

He said that it meant if I wanted to go to Morris Brown.

I said, "I don't know what that is!"

He said that Morris Brown was an HBCU (a member of the Historically Black Colleges and Universities).

I said, "Oh, I never heard of it!"

He said, "But do you want to go to Morris Brown?"

Excitedly, I told him that I would be glad to go!

However, after learning about Morris Brown, I learned that they didn't have the classes to become a trauma surgeon. I wanted to become a trauma surgeon.

When Dr. Allen heard this, he told me that I could do Triple T's.

My response? "Oh, I can do Triple T's!"

(I still don't know what that is!)

Despite this, I looked it up and enrolled in Morris Brown. I am doing Psychology for 4 years and then I will go back to school to become an MD. Then after five years of study, I will be a trauma surgeon. 

So, those are my Triple T's.

By the time that I am 46 years old, I will be a trauma surgeon if not sooner.

Thank you DJJ!

Sincerely,

Former DJJ Youth

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Additional Youth Stories:

My Story Your Life: Dedicated to Starting Over