Sarah Granderson

Sarah’s Story

I could smell the scent of the cold ocean water as my mother, sister, and I pulled up to Anna Maria Beach. The rooted feeling I had made me catch a snapshot in my mind as I played in the sand. I retrieved seashells off the shore as souvenirs, but they later began to symbolize many aspects of my life. 

The majority of my childhood consisted of me moving to and from multiple schools, and neighborhoods, as well as from foster care to my biological father. The state of Florida removed me from the care of my biological mother due to neglect and abuse and placed me with my biological father in Alabama, which completely altered my behavior in the future. It was infuriating. My own mother believed I was worthless, and she wanted nothing to do with me. Racism, poverty, and gender played a part in all my history. Personally, I understood my own rage, even though I knew it was not right, yet society would only punish her more because of her mental illness. I wanted to be with my family, but that was before I learned what my older sister had dealt with before I was born. It is a common practice in the child welfare system, to remove children from their natural environment, opposed to assisting the biological family with the resources they need to thrive (housing, food, medications, etc.). I would look in the mirror and repeatedly ask myself why I had to deal with the trauma. Would I always be in the same position, as I was when I was a five-year old child? The lack of knowledge about mental health conditions, and the lack of resources to help our family played a part into what I want to do for those children who may be dealing with the same situations. Orphaned and fostered children are emotionally abused because they are not in touch with their biological families, but I want to show them although it may feel like so; they are not alone, and neither am I. 

It takes persistence. I continue to aim for success, even when I believe trying may be fruitless. For example, I have taken the ACT seven times now trying to get a desired score. I applied to two jobs three different times to get the companies to finally hire me. After lots of hard emotional work, I was able to move on from the hatred of my mother, and focus on bettering myself. Persistence is what motivates me during my academic journey. My education has and will continue to inform my daily life, allowing me to share my personal experiences with others in order to empower my community. The seashells led me on a path of happiness and fulfillment as they activated my intuition and imagination.

This college is a place where I want to share my experiences and be there for others during tough times. My seashells represent a sense of freedom, the salty air while experiencing walking the shore at four years old, connecting to the opportunity to inspire more people my age to take advantage of available platforms today that help me make room for everyone at the table. The challenges I faced have made me the strong person I am today. That same five year old child that struggled with abandonment and identity issues as they grew older. However, I am in the process of becoming and will forever live with how I am seen by others. I hope to use my resiliency that connects to my inner child into my graduating college and into my future career. I ask questions to seek answers, and when there is injustice in the answers, I take action to change that.

Education

School: Ramsay High School

Expected Graduation: May 2021

GPA: 3.8