The Day I Passed My VCLA Test

This summer, I took some tremendous leaps of faith. After completing my first year of teaching, I decided to continue my education and enrolled in graduate courses at Old Dominion University. I had just completed a course in the spring and thought it would be best to continue my professional development through the summer. So I took on more courses. And after a lot of dedication, discipline, consistency, and focus, I earned A’s (that 4.0 life is super nice) in each course and I also completed and passed my VCLA (Virginia Communication and Literacy Assessment) to continue the process of obtaining my 10-year teaching license.

Now, there were different teachers and close friends of mine who told me, “Simone, you’re smart, and you’re an English major, you’ll do fine.” But I never like to go into things unprepared or with an arrogant attitude. So I still studied and prepared for the test. And I’ll continue doing the same for my remaining assessments and coursework. I was going to wait to write about this until everything was completed, but since I’m halfway through my requirements, I’m celebrating along the way. Side note: when you’re working on a major goal, it’s important to take time to celebrate as you’re successfully moving forward. Every step matters, and you can celebrate along the way.

When I was searching for new career opportunities a little over a year ago, I never imagined that being an educator was what God had in mind. It certainly wasn’t a profession I had in mind for myself – although, when I was in high school, there was a brief season when I thought I wanted to be a teacher or a guidance counselor – isn’t life funny? It’s a privilege being an educator and having the opportunity to do purposeful work like teaching. I was originally hired to teach 7^th grade English this year, but when my administrators learned of my writing background, they decided I’d be a better fit for teaching advanced 8^th grade English, which focuses more on writing. So here I am, and here we are. Although going back to school, enrolling in graduate courses, and taking assessments to obtain licensure (while working full-time) is a major sacrifice, I’m staying the course because I believe it’s all going to pay off. When God has a plan for you, and especially for your career, be obedient and trust Him. He knows what He’s doing, and He knows what’s best for you. Plus, your steps are already ordered (Psalm 37:23). Connect with Him and allow Him to take the lead in your life. It’s worth it.

The Day I Became A Kidney Donor

About a year ago, I had a dream my dad wanted to talk to our family about something serious. I wasn’t sure what he wanted to discuss, but I knew it was something I needed to prepare myself for. Around the time after I had this dream, I remember stopping by my parents place and sensing something was going on that they weren’t telling me. I tried to dismiss what I’d been feeling, but I couldn’t shake it. Something serious was happening. As I returned to my home after visiting them one day, I was in my kitchen washing dishes when a heaviness hit my heart like nothing I’d ever felt before. Something’s wrong with dad. That’s what that dream was about. God, what’s going on? As I continued washing dishes, I started crying and praying. Then in mid-spring, my dad held an unexpected family meeting that would change all our lives forever. He hesitated at first, and as his voice started cracking and he started crying, he said, “Well, I wanted to talk to ya’ll to tell you that I have kidney disea...

I’m Glad I’m Not Married

When I was about five years old, I was sitting in the backseat of my dad’s car when me, him, my older cousin (my aunt’s son), and my aunt (my dad’s sister) caught my aunt’s fiancé with another woman. My dad had been driving my aunt out to run some errands since she didn’t have a driver’s license or a car. When she spotted her man with another woman, she told my dad to pull the car over, got out of the car, and immediately addressed him. She wanted the keys back to her apartment and was done with him. The other woman she caught her fiancé with slapped him when she realized what was happening, and that was that. When my aunt returned to the car, she was clearly and understandably upset, and the ride back to her place was quiet. Although I was too young to fully grasp what was happening at the time, I knew it wasn’t good. And now, at 34 years old, I can’t imagine how much pain she was in. Her wedding had been planned and paid for – and she never made it down the aisle. My aunt was a beaut...

Dear Young Black Professionals

As you embark on your career, I want you to know some things and stay woke about what you’ll be up against. Please understand that no matter what, you have value, and you matter. Always remember that. As progressive as this world and different workplaces may seem, every workplace has a culture. You’ll be in different places where a lot of people who don’t look like you will be in the room. But know that you belong in those rooms too. Spend some time observing and studying those spaces and learn as much as you can. There will be people you work with who will make presumptions about your competence, education, and ability to fulfill your job duties. There will be more who will think less of you because of the color of your skin and try to disqualify you the moment you make an error, mistake, or ask questions about things you may not understand. This will all feel uncomfortable and you may get insecure, feel like you’re all by yourself, and think you don’t belong there, but ride it out...

Making Waves