Introduction to a Future Black Lawyer: Essence Winston

 

A fashionista now and a lawyer in the making!

"You are where you are today because you stand on somebody's shoulders. And wherever you are heading, you cannot get there by yourself. If you stand on the shoulders of others, you have a reciprocal responsibility to live your life so that others may stand on your shoulders. It's the quid pro quo of life. We exist temporarily through what we take, but we live forever through what we give." - Vernon Jordan.

Welcome to my first official blog post! I'm excited to begin this journey with you and I am looking forward to gaining some new experiences while doing it. My name is Essence Winston and I was born and raised in San Francisco, California. I am currently a sophomore at Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte, North Carolina where I am majoring in political science with a minor in pre-law. Before the pandemic I was very involved in campus life! I joined the dance team as a freshman, and am currently serving as one of the 2020-2021 class senators for my sophomore class.

Living in California I can say that this Covid-19 Pandemic has drastically changed my life. And not only did this Pandemic bring sickness, but it forced us to look at the issues of our world, while forcing society to deal with the harsh realties about racial injustices in America. This pandemic not only forced a new change of life upon all of us but caused us to reflect on the many things we had that we didn't value. During the past year we were forced to separate from our loved ones, leave our friends, the relationships we built, and for college students, like me, our college campuses that meant the world to us. Now here's where I talk about the power of education.

The power of education builds relationships, gives us head starts to achieving our goals, creates long lasting memories, and grants us the empowerment of being the change to a better world. For many and for myself, my campus was my safe haven, my safe place, a place that was my home away from home. In these unforeseen circumstances, our home, for me and you, was taken from us, stripped from us. The place we felt like we could run to, when our homes ran us away. Education saved us, and for many of us took us out of situations that we would have risked our lives for hadn't it been for the power of education.

JCSU's beautiful Biddle Hall building in the Springtime.

As I close, I would like to leave you with this in response to my quote. Education is what saved me. It brought many opportunities that forced me to change my outlook on life. Wherever you started, wherever you are now, and wherever you are headed is because someone believed in you, they believed in your dream. Never let your current circumstances or even a pandemic stop you from reaching your greatest element. Whatever it is you desire, keep your mind on it and accomplish that dream. Your success holds someone else's fate.