Perseverance. Obstacles. Challenges. Ever since I was a little kid I’ve been struggling with a speech impediment: stuttering. Even though it’s a struggle I work to improve and become better at speech every day. One challenge that came with student council was giving a speech during elections on why people should vote for me in the midst of several candidates. At first, I was scared. I practiced for days to just work and keep picking at my speech. After several days, I had finally mastered my speech: I had practiced it without any stuttering! But even though I had battled my stutter, it still leeched onto my brain like a parasite; it ate away at me for days. Nevertheless, I have learned that my stutter will always be a part of my identity. Despite holding me down sometimes, it forces me to think about what I am saying and slows down my fast-paced self, which in some ways is a necessary evil. From Enloe Charity Ball, I know that kids in the Southeast Raleigh corridor are facing more momentous challenges than me and persevering. They are battling the 54% poverty rate that encroaches their habitat. But they are all so strong. I am privileged enough to have never experienced poverty and I will give my all to SERP this year to help alleviate some of the challenges these kids face.
Jakai Dickerson
Freshman Class Senator
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