Congratulations to Daijha Teague, who earned an honorable mention in the Dr. Maya Angelou Essay Writing Contest!

Daijha Teague is committed to breaking barriers as a young black woman
pursuing a career majoring in Science Technology, Engineering, Art and
Mathematics fields (STEAM)…
Here is an excerpt from her essay:

…”The career path I chose is exciting because it is constantly evolving. There is always a barrier to break through, or a problem to tackle. The thrill of finding long-lasting solutions to complex problems that impact our world is what drives me. Along with this, I love to learn. This field provides opportunities to continuously learn and adapt. Every project in this field is a chance for me to sharpen my skills and deepen my knowledge. I hope to have a huge impact in the world. My work goal is to contribute to projects that advance technology while simultaneously raising the standard of living for people everywhere, I want my work to make a positive difference, especially in my community.

…I support women’s empowerment and practice it in my day-to-day life, I have
participated in programs that focus specifically on women’s empowerment. The first program was a club created by two teachers and an assistant principal at my school. The program is called Sisterhood and, in this club, we worked on building sisterhood as black women, building and solidifying our love for ourselves, networking and skills that will help us in the future. I participated in the Sisterhood the whole school year during my sophomore, junior, and senior year and my experience in this club was wonderful as everything as everything we did taught me something new, and also help me build connections.

Renowned author Dr. Maya Angelou has said, “We may encounter many defeats, but we must not be defeated. In fact, it may be necessary to encounter the defeats, so you can know who you are, what you can rise from, how you can still come out of it.”These are words I embrace emphatically on a daily basis.

We all fall, we all face defeat, we feel discouraged and face isolation. Without understanding the importance of the life lessons we acquire when we face and move past these obstacles, how will we ever know our true strength or capacity? I know that, especially as a black woman with high standards for academic excellence, I will be challenged by others. Just as I learned in my middle school days, I will need to reach out to others for help and have the courage to do so. There will be times when life itself will be the challenge I must face. I will face it all with courage, determination, and I know that I will not be defeated.”

Ms. Teague will be attending Howard University this fall.