TAMARUS L. DARBY JR.

College/University: Howard University

Career Goal: To be a United States President

At the age of six months, I lost my father to gun violence, and not having him here with me has always left me feeling like I've been missing a significant part of myself. However, I've turned my pain into ambition, setting me on a journey to make him proud. I was born in Saginaw, Michigan, one of the most dangerous cities in Michigan, where residents are subject to drugs, gang violence, etc.

Growing up in Saginaw, there's a culture that's present where dropping out of school and not pursuing higher education is expected. There's a culture that's present where you're considered to be lucky if you make it out, and if there's one thing that my father's death has taught me in life is that my background or the cards that I've been dealt don't define who I am or will become. I've learned that challenges are ultimately bound to come, but it's up to me to decide how to mitigate my challenges and make it through them. And when it comes to coping with my father's death, learning how to mitigate and work through this challenge has helped me grow as an individual. This journey called life has taught me how to be reflective and has helped me turn my father's death into motivation by realizing that he lives within me and that his story is a part of mine.

As a young Black Latino male in America, my background and story are too common for others who look like me, but we are the masters of our destiny, and we decide how history will judge us. For several years I've focused my career and academic pursuits on politics. Since the age of six, I've been on a mission to become the President of the United States of America. Because I've held on to this dream and decided not to become another body in the coroner's office, I'm proud to say I will attend Howard University in the fall of 2023, majoring in political science and international affairs. These goals have shaped my future and allowed me to become a servant leader dedicated to serving my community with no strings attached.

An example of this service is my upcoming testimony in the Michigan Senate Civil Rights, Judiciary, and Public Safety Committee supporting The Crown Act on behalf of hundreds of thousands of Michiganders to foster a more inclusive community for those who choose to wear protective hairstyles. Throughout my service, I've never considered it my job but rather a duty to myself and those who benefit from it. My community is my foundation; I wouldn't be who I am today without it. Therefore, I'll never stop giving to my community, and my goals will make this a reality along with my dedication to walk across the stage and receive my high school diploma as well as my Bachelor's and Juris Doctor's degree because my father was unable to get his.