Today marks a one month personal holiday which I love to call “Critical Juncture Day!” On May 24th 2021, I had to make a decision that I knew would jeopardize a multitude of things. In increments of time, my priorities began to shift. I began to believe in myself and the need to define my own happiness. I can remember it like yesterday, my heart was racing, damn near leaped out of my chest, knowing that putting my foot down and no longer accepting my circumstances would shatter the blissful life I was living. Here's the thing about the collegiate journey: it makes you realize that YOU ARE NOT YOUR CIRCUMSTANCES. YOU CAN ABSOLVE YOURSELF FROM ANYTHING THAT YOUR HEART AND MIND NO LONGER ALIGNS WITH. I moved forward with my truth and presented it to others. Let’s just say that the overarching theme of the conversation was “save your bull💩.” As I got barked at, I remained calm and kept thinking, “This is the critical juncture you’ve been waiting for. Events like these may not present blessings right away, and it will be tough, but you’re on the RIGHT PATH!” Please don’t get me wrong, I am absolutely grateful for everything that everyone has done for me 🙏🏽 Without them, I couldn’t be here saying that I registered for the Fall ‘21 semester at CSUS College of Business. By the way, through the California Promise Grant and Pell Grant, my tuition is paid for, allowing me to pursue higher education for FREE! Believe me, it’s been rough and I had to make moves at a moment's notice. However, as my dad always said, “don’t set yourself up for success, set yourself up to receive opportunities.” Ever since my critical juncture, I’ve received so many green lights and opportunities I knew I couldn’t have had if I was still flying under the radar, playing into other’s expectations. Like most POC experiences, there is this unspoken rule that silencing must occur around stigmatization. GURL, NOT ME HEEEEEEY! I’m still Richard, still Kiki, still that Filipino baby! I live my life OUT LOUD! My favorite quote comes from Berekly Haas which is, “question the status quo.” You can call me Diane Sawyer cause I got plenty of questioning to do, but this time, I got the receipts. *tongue pop (at Sacramento, California) https://www.instagram.com/p/CQgeoFbhcgx/?utm_medium=tumblr
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