As a black girl born and raised in Omaha, Nebraska (where there is not much to do other than drive to the Walmart parking lot), I put my energy into outlets that let me be loud and proud in a town that often tried to silence me. I have done dance, volleyball, basketball, soccer, and swimming. I have zip-lined over the Royal Gorge, I have seen Pitbull in concert, I make friends in every place I go, I have family all over the world. Yet, the one place I have ever wanted to be, the one thing I have ever wanted to do, was to be on the stage, be on the screen, telling stories. I’ve spent most of my young adulthood advocating, listening, and performing. And I never plan to stop, no matter what. I am a big ball of energy who has only recently learned what an inside voice is, and according to Robert Pieranunzi “A little firecracker”. I dedicate everything in my life to my parents and to those who came before me. The spark in this little firecracker is never going to die.