Thank you EOYDC & Southwest…..(My life is Changed forever) FL ’18

At this point in our Florida trip we have done everything fun and exciting there is to do and cannot be anymore happier, even though we all got up a bit slow from all of this excitement. Today was also a historical day for us young men….. We woke up ready before Mrs. Regina and we finally beat her to the lobby with a sense of victory!

On our way to Daytona we all shared stories and our opinions on certain topics, which made me feel inspired in a way to do more and educate myself more and go beyond my comfort zone. Then arriving in Daytona was something special it was everything I imagined Florida to have, the warm sun, palm trees, a beach, a lot of attractions and hotels. Especially seeing the NASCAR track it really let me take away that there is so much there to see and I can only see or do it if I put myself out there and take a risk.

Soon we arrived to HBCU to try to find Khadija to start our tour,
I would say the college tours strengthened my opinion on wanting to go to an HBCU to have that family connection where people would stop what they are doing to make sure

you are fine and doing all right.

I can say for me the best experience I took away from that day as well was when we were in Khadija’s class and being able to hear the professor talk and learning a new thing or two. I just liked what she was saying and how she was able to articulate all of these complex words and relate to everyday things that seemed so common that some I didn’t even notice. And bring half Black and half Mexican it really gave me a new perspective and educated me more. I was caught off guard when she mentioned the Handy Manny stereotype when it’s very stereotypical to have a show about a Hispanic carpenter especially in these times when people make jokes about Hispanics working on white people’s houses. I never thought of that show that way until now and I used to love that show, and for me to notice this and take notes of it I was just shocked by how much these over-generalization of stereotypes are out into everything like toys, shows, clothes, and more.

After that, I probably had the best meal in my life it was something new I tried for the first time at Daytona Beach which was also my first time visiting there and being able to take pictures on the beach and pier. Joe’s Crab shack is what I tried and it was crab I started eating and I have to say, at first I struggled eating but when I was able to really break it down and enjoy some crab I went into a frenzy just devouring food and having a good time with everyone laughing and bonding.

These are the things I’m going to remember when I go into college the little things like these make a difference and what I am grateful for. Now I want to make a difference and push myself to new heights, I want to help out more black males in college and more males in general. This trip has made me so grateful for what EOYDC has done for me, shaping the young man I am today and what Southwest has given to us to go on this trip.

By the way we finally went to the pool which was awesome even though I let Jakori beat me in a race but that’s ok.