Tiffany McKoy

As I sat in the back of the class learning about the evolution of blacks in education, I became disgusted. Who was this girl sitting two rows over, sleeping on top of her closed book? The book was closed, maan!! That means she was making no effort at all. So why was she there at all?

I could not understand how someone could show such disregard to the privilege of education.

My disgust turned into anger when our professor told us to open our books and I had no book to open.

Here I am for the last two weeks praying and crying because I don’t want to fall behind in my course work, but.. No money, no books.

Remember how your elders fussed about how there are so many starving children in other countries? The point was to appreciate what you have. And the best way to appreciate something is to make full use of it. Obviously this girl never learned that lesson.

I got a question for you, Sleeping Beauty, and those in your crew — “WHAT YOU GON’ DO?”

Are you gonna waste time, occupy time, make up for time? Mary J. said “Time is not on our side.” Or are you gonna appreciate?

See, I dropped out of high school at the tender, yet rough age of 15. I don’t have a wonderful prom picture hanging on my living room wall. I had NO chance of being elected into “Homecoming Queens Court.”

Senior Skip Day? I could have hopped, skipped and jumped any day of that school year and there was not a high school in Durham with any concern.

The morning you took the SAT, I was sleeping. See, I didn’t appreciate, and had no plans of what I was gon’ do!

That’s why I’ve been given the license to inform you to appreciate this opportunity now that you’re here.

Fact: You’re here and have to work like hell to stay here and move to the next level. You think you can come, chill, and get a wonderful degree. WRONG!!

I know some foolish upperclassmen let you know that you could chill in a class and make a cute “A,” but not every class.

Not here and not you, Boo. So what you gon’ do? Appreciate?

See, you can be anything you want to be and do anything you want to do, but the law of life is you’ve got to give to get, and this law does not change. You have to give your time, your mind, your heart, and you got to give yo money.

Remember, these days are the best days of your life. They could also become the worst because of bad decision-making. There is a scripture in the New Testament that states something like “...all of creation is waiting for the manifestation of the son of God...” But I say to you that all of creation is waiting for the manifestation of you!

So... What you gon’ do?