I was born and raised in Columbia, South Carolina, in a family of ten. Growing up in a single-parent home wasn't easy, but of course I grew to understand the lifestyle. The best part, I would say, was being the baby. My dear mother had seven daughters, of which I am the youngest, and my pop had four of his own. In all I have seven sisters and three brothers. Graduating from C. A. Johnson High School a proud Hornet, I had no idea what the world had in store for me. I had planned on college and even got accepted. But apparently it was better for me to join the military. Although I have some regrets, this choice has had its benefits. I'm learning more and more about myself every day, and this… experience, if nothing else, has taught me to be grateful and to have patience. I just thank God for the opportunity. I began writing at an early age. It was around the second grade when I wrote my first short story. I've always loved to read and write, and of course English was always my favorite subject. It was the only class that gave me a chance to dream and imagine, and sometimes those dreams came true. When I had finally got the chance to read my first story aloud to the class I was so excited. At that moment I realized that I had a talent, and immediately it became my passion. Later I began writing short stories of several different genres. I enjoyed doing it, but it was very time consuming. I thought of writing poetry many times but wasn't sure if I could do it. To me poetry was always about romance or life or something I couldn't understand. Then I decided to read up on other poets and writers and discovered that poetry told many stories in only a stanza or two. Lines of a few words told a story not even a novel could compare to. It was deep, it spoke to me on so many different levels, and it caused a spark in me to explode. So I tried poetry due to my lack of patience and found out how real my passion to write really is. It's definitely my life. Spoken word is heavy and changes lives even if it's only a few. It's a culture all by itself.