Dr. Kenyatta Stephens was raised in South DeKalb County which is known for it’s heavy gang activity, low-income housing, and subpar school systems. However, in the midst of an environment seemingly set up to work against her, she maintained a work ethic that was unparalleled. She began working at age 15. She graduated salutatorian of her class and matriculated at Howard University on a full scholarship. She earned her Bachelors of Science degree in Biology with a minor in chemistry and graduated with honors. She has held several impressive jobs since completing her undergraduate studies, including a position with the Atlanta Hawks. Eventually, she earned her PhD in Public Health and worked with Center of Disease Control. All of these achievements …show more content…
While I was “fighting” my depression, I had neglected developing and repairing relationships with my family and instead indulging in my own vices. I felt as if I was constantly surrounded by negativity so I decided to spend some time with the most positive influence that I had at that time. During the week I spent with Kenyatta, I gained keys that have changed my life forever. She helped me realize that healthy relationships are built off of trust, a concept that I had previously disregarded. Kenyatta provided me the outside voice of reason and compassion that I needed. She assisted me in mending relationships and taking necessary steps to put my life back together. She taught me about the importance of organization and establishing proper priorities. While these things seemed small, but when I actually began to apply them, my life turned around for the better. I had finally restored the trust in the relationship with my parents and when that happened, everything else began to fall into place. I performed higher on my standardized testing, and I genuinely found happiness within myself without having to look for it in other