Dear Lab, Coming into the lab, I worried I wouldn’t fit in. Girl straight out of Nigeria. New to microbiology. New to American academia. New to everything. And then I walked into a room full of Indians, other Nigerians, Pakistanis, Koreans — Christians, Muslims, Hindus, atheists. Different sexualities. Different genders. Different ages. Different stories. And …
Dear New Beginning,
Dear New Beginning, I came to America on my mom’s birthday — December 19th. After a long, exhausting flight, we landed in Houston relieved, hopeful, and completely overwhelmed. There were five of us and over thirteen boxes. The first challenge was simply getting everything out of the airport. The second was standing outside in the …
Dear Nigeria,
Dear Nigeria, I went back to you for many reasons. One was logistical — my green card interview date was finally released, and I had to return weeks ahead of time to prepare. Another was personal — my grandfather’s funeral was in December, and I wanted to be there. I went back hopeful, believing that …
Dear, 2026
Dear 2026, This is a new year, and it in fact, does come with a new me. I don't expect to change who I am, just refocus on what I have always wanted. In the darkest nooks and crannies of my life, once was a child who was desperate to separate herself from her family …
Dear, Terrified Dreamer
The truth about me is that I am terrified of failing. I’m so scared I won’t be able to achieve my goals and dreams that sometimes I start holding back — not putting in as much effort as I should — just so I have an excuse. I can tell myself, “It’s not that I …
Dear Jack of All Trades,
Dear Jack of All Trades, You’re a jack of all trades, but sometimes life doesn’t let you master everything. I know you have tons of brilliant, amazing, positive ideas, but no matter how much you want to, you can’t do it all. Time is limited. Instead of doing everything halfway and then quitting, streamline. Choosing …
Dear History, You Are Often Forgotten
Dear History, You are often forgotten. The pain and suffering Black men and women endured for centuries are too often overlooked. The slavery, the assaults, the brutal reduction of our people to mere objects for labor and display — these truths are too easily swept aside. "Until the lion learns to write, every story will …
Dear ADHD, Stop Telling Me How to Behave
Dear ADHD, I got diagnosed with ADHD and Anxiety only a few months ago, but honestly, it’s been a long 18 years of me figuring things out. I’ve spent all this time navigating life with a little extra chaos in my brain, but I’m starting to understand it a lot more now. Me in a …
Creating My Autobiography 