Jackie's First Blog

I was born somewhere in Jersey on July 12th, 1983. Raised in New York, I moved down to Miami when I was 17 to attend the University of Miami. I absolutely fell in love with this city!! The weather, the diversity, and those beautiful palm trees... Furthermore, I was finally free of my parents' terrible divorce and all the high school drama!! However, my emotional maturity was not yet up to par with my peers. I partied a little too hard that first semester, and although I came out with a 3.92 GPA, I quickly fell apart in most other aspects of my life. September 11th, 2001 was the scariest day I've ever experienced, as most of my family lives in Manhattan. At the time, my dad worked in Grand Central Station, and those ten hours of not being able to contact my family was absolutely terrifying. In December 2001, I moved backed home. Three years later, I fell in love with a boy from Queens, became engaged, and moved right back down to Miami as soon as possible. Although my relationship eventually fell apart, I decided to stay and try to make it on my own. Two years ago I was rear-ended by a car while turning into my driveway on a motorcycle. The support of my friends during that tumultuous time was a blessing I will never forget. The six months I spent in a back brace, well aware I was lucky to be alive, taught me a priceless lesson. We are only here for a very short time, and I want to spend my time helping others. Currently, I work three jobs to pay the bills and put myself through school. I will one day become a school psychologist, and even if I only help one person, my time here was well worth it. To me, adolescence is an extremely fragile period, and a positive influence can sometimes be a lifesaver. I want to give what others have given to me during my fragile times; I want to be that lifesaver.