From a Caterpillar to a Butterfly

Reflection 2: With the feedback I received from my peers and my professor I was able to revise
my paper. I like the peer review and it can definitely help with my future papers success. I
enjoyed writing about my life and how my external influences have molded the person I am
today.

Anyone who knew me as a young child would label me as a shy and sensitive. Honestly,

I was not the most outgoing child, but that was okay with me. In elementary school, I was a

skinny, short girl with only two friends. I was not as confident as the other girls who I used to call

mini Beyonce's that had boobs and hips of a woman at only age 11. Nor was I as talkative and

extroverted as other girls. Again, people labeled me as shy and sensitive. Of course, I knew

that I was more than that and I didnt want that to define what I could become.

The phase where I began to break out of my shell was between middle school and high

school. In 6 grade, I participated in a spelling bee and competed against 6 , 7 and 8 grade
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levels. There were multiple rounds and each student would walk on stage, grab the microphone

and spell the word that the judge gave them. As each round continued, and most of the students

were eliminated it was down to the final two, myself and an 8 grader. It was so intense and so
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nerve wrecking as we battled back in forth in spelling words correctly. I walked to the stage and

grabbed the microphone to spell the next word and I hear the buzzer sound right after the last

letter left my lips. The buzzer only meant that the word was spelled incorrectly, and I felt like my

heart stopped and I held back tears as I walked to my seat. The guy I was competing with

walked on stage, full smile, and stared deep into my soul as he spelled the word. He spelled his

word so confidently, boastfully and when I heard the buzzer sound after his last letter, my heart

was filled with joy. I was able to return back onto stage and the judge announced that the next

person to spell the word correctly would win the spelling bee and participate in the Regional

Spelling Bee. Yeah, no pressure here. I thought sarcastically. Consciously, I walked up to

microphone and spelled the next word. Silence, no buzz. Those few seconds felt like hours and

the judge said Congratulations, you are the winner of the spelling bee.
 Excitement, relief, happiness is how I would describe myself when I heard those words.

That shy and sensitive girl came out of her comfort zone to let others what she was capable of.

This moment will always be special to me because I was brave enough to compete in a

competition and I WON, even though others put a label on me. Well, the journey to closing the

mouths of those who labeled me didnt stop there. In 8 grade I joined the choir at my school, in
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9 grade I joined the cheerleading team, in 10 grade I won 2 place in oratorical contest, in 11
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grade I was inducted into National Honor Society because I achieved the A/B Honor Roll and

volunteered frequently, in 12 grade I was given a leadership position at Chick-Fil-A and the list
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doesnt end there. My accomplishments have taught me many valuable lessons, one being to

never let what people think about me stop me from what I can become.

The most influential people in my life are my mom and stepdad. When I was eight years

old the only family members in my household were my mom, my sister and I. We lived in a

simple two bedroom apartment complex, white walls, shaggy carpets, in Greensboro, North

Carolina and I loved the small family we had. My mom took on the role as mom and dad for the

first half of my life. My biological father was not around and I wont beat around the bush nor will

I give him any excuse for being absent in my life. My mom is caring, genuine and has always

showed me unconditional love. I can vividly remember our many car rides to school together

and our nights when we cooked together and even the movie nights in our pajamas. She always

made me and my sister feel special and loved, no matter how much we got on her nerves.

My mom was married in 2006 to Dante, my step-dad. The small family of three quickly

became the family of five,he had a daughter, then a few years down the road my brother was

born into the family. Every day I thank God for blessing me with my mom and my stepdad. They

have always been great role models to my two sisters, brother, and I. My stepdad has been the

father figure in my life and has helped mold me into who I am today. From the whoopings, to the

lectures, to the birthday celebrations, and even the card and rose I have received every

Valentines day, is why Im extremely grateful that he played the role as a father.
 Together, him and my mother, taught my siblings and I the importance of keeping God

first. This means attending church regularly, being spiritual, and giving without always expecting

to receive. They taught us the importance of trying our hardest in any task, not giving up

because something was hard rather find different approaches to complete the task. They taught

us to care for one another, they taught us to be respectful, they taught us to be ourselves. They

taught, and taught, and taught so much that I feel like pieces of them are with me wherever I go.

I appreciate them for dedicating their time and always being there, literally, to guide us.

In addition to things that have influenced me, baking has been a passion of mine since

middle school. I can remember vividly, coming home after school to watch marathons of my

favorite show, Cake Boss. This is where idea of a baking journey started for me. It amazed me

how creative Buddy and his staff were. They made character cakes, wedding cakes, cakes of

people, cupcake cakes, any cake you can think of! It fascinated me that cake could create such

life-like designs. I loved this show because the cakes were creative unique and overall had very

fun ideas! What delighted me the most were how happy his customers were when they received

their cake. Buddy and his team always beyond what was expected of them as far as the cake

designs.

So, I began experimenting. I started off with the basics, cake boxes and the icing

containers that came with it. I followed the instructions on preparing the cake, baked it, and let it

cool. Surprisingly on my first try, the cake was round and a golden brown color. The icing on the

cake wasnt anything spectacular, just swirls going in multiple directions. I didnt care about the

look. I didnt care if it wasnt the best appealing cake. All I wanted to know is how it tasted. I had

my family try my finished product and of course they loved it. So I kept baking, I kept practicing.

Chocolate cakes, vanilla cakes, lemon cakes, strawberry cakes, carrot cakes. Is your mouth

watering yet? I didnt want my creativity to stop there so I took a decorating class at Michael's.

There I learned how to ice, how to cut cakes, different icing styles, and was supplied with

materials that would contribute to my success. I practiced my baking skills continuously, this
was beginning to become a passion of mine. I even dreamed about baking. My passion became

so real that I started baking cupcakes for events. I made cakes for Sunday Dinner, birthday

parties, and graduations. The best part about making cakes for the events was being paid! My

passion and enjoyment has inspired me to open a cupcake shop in the future. I plan on

majoring in Business Management and hopefully after I graduate from UNC-Charlotte I will be

able to fulfill my dream of owning a cupcake shop.

Lastly, Chick Fil A, a popular and tasty restaurant is where Ive worked for the past three

years has influenced me to become a strong leader. I started this job at 16 years old, another

one of my milestones Im proud of. I was so nervous on my first day back in May of 2014. I

didnt know anyone, didnt know exactly what I was doing on the register, customers were being

impatient because I moved to slow and it was extremely overwhelming. A few of the employees

saw me struggling and decided to help. Of course not willingly. It took me about two weeks to

actually get the hang of working in fast food, I was always coaching myself and finding ways to

remember the routine. Over time I became a fast worker and could answer any question that the

customers and employees had. In October of 2015, I was offered a leadership position from my

manager. In the beginning, I thought it was a crazy idea. I never was a leader of anything

growing up. I was that shy and sensitive girl. Though the thought of leading a business

scared me I took the position and I can honestly say it was the best choice I could have made. I

became more confident as my leadership skills blossomed and I became more social. I never

let labels hold me back from trying anything that I was not comfortable with. Stepping out of my

comfort zone led to my numerous accomplishments and I intend on continuing to grow and

succeed.