I Chose Kean, and I’m Glad I Did!
By Davaughnia Wilson | Published November 17, 2022
High School is supposed to be momentous. When we walk across the stage at the end of our high school careers, we are promised a brighter future and a successful journey by our administrators.
For me, it was no different.
I had an idea of what I wanted to do with my life and the journey I wanted to take to accomplish my goals. If you would have told me on graduation night that I would be where I am today, I probably would have laughed and said “I wish.”
Well, my wish came true.
January 18, 2019, was the day I was introduced to endless possibilities. That was the day I received my acceptance letter to Kean University.
Growing up in Kingston, Jamaica, and raised by my grandmother, I have faced many challenges and have overcome many obstacles on my path to success.
Living in the inner-city, life was hard but I was constantly reminded that education is the key to success, and that was my way out. I have to be hungry for success and fight for my seat at the table.
I isolated myself from the toxic and violent community that I lived in by simply staying inside my home and not socializing and interacting with certain members of my community.
While in school, I introduced myself to a group of people that were nurturing, had a positive attitude, and were just as hungry for success as I was. That however was short-lived as my path to success meant that I had to leave them behind.
After graduating high school and moving on to Sixth Form, a two-year A-level program, I knew that it was time to prepare for a life abroad. My mother and older brother lived in the United States and it was only a matter of time before I migrated also.
Preparing for my new life meant that I had to work twice as hard and gain the strength and courage to face the unknown. I was determined to get accepted to a four-year undergraduate degree program and I was dedicated to academic success by taking SAT night classes after school.
Finding a university in New Jersey that I wanted to commit to was probably the hardest task throughout the entire process. I was either defeated by the high costs of tuition, its distance from my soon-to-be hometown, or my safety as a person of color.
Life has a funny way of showing us what was meant to be. For me, it was an Instagram post.
While casually scrolling through my Instagram feed, I saw a post made by a graduate from my alma mater. In the picture taken in a bathroom mirror, she was wearing a blue T-shirt that read “KEAN.”
What is Kean? I thought. So, I googled it.
Kean University. Founded in 1855, Kean is a public, diverse, innovative, and world-class institution that offers more than 50 undergraduate majors, over 70 options for graduate students, and six doctoral programs in multiple disciplines.
Kean offers a four-year undergraduate degree in communication with a concentration in journalism. The pieces were starting to come together.
Within a few months, I settled in my new hometown and attended a summer information session and tour at Kean.
After my first visit, I knew that I belonged at Kean. I submitted my application with pride and confidence and it was one of the best decisions that I have made in my adult life.
I chose Kean, not because of how close it was to my new hometown. I chose Kean because it felt like home. I knew that I was making the right choice by applying to this illustrious university and I have succeeded beyond my own expectations.
Fall 2019, was the beginning of a new chapter in my life and I made a promise to myself that I would stay strong, focused, and succeed. Kean has provided me with exceptional learning opportunities and a quality education.
I have always been goal-oriented and Kean has helped me to accomplish goals that I thought were hard to fulfill. I have gained leadership skills that I will carry with me throughout my professional career and I have developed my journalistic writing.
I was inducted into multiple honor societies including Lambda Pi Eta, and I have been awarded internships in social media marketing, in public relations at a PR firm, and in journalism at a major newspaper publication.
My time at Kean is coming to an end as I will be graduating in Spring 2023. One Instagram post changed my life for the better and the endless opportunities that followed my acceptance to Kean have allowed me to grow into an amazing leader and student.