Get to know Jomi, one of Access Opportunity's Student Ambassadors for the 2024-25 school year.
Jomi will be a first-year at Chapman University this year. She is a member of the Access Opportunity Class of 2028. Throughout the year, we will get to know her better through her stories, experiences, and advice for her fellow AO students.
In Her Own Words
Hello! My name is Jomi and I am a freshman at Chapman University studying both Pre-Law and Screenwriting. I was born in Sierra Leone, West Africa but moved to Denver, Colorado when I was eight years old. I have always loved film and am interested in the law. I hope to continue to explore different fields and topics as I pursue higher education. I am the youngest of three and am the only girl. I recently graduated from Overland High School where I was heavily involved in performing arts, participating in choir, orchestra, and theater. I have a huge passion for the arts, education, social justice, and volunteering. I love hanging out with friends, reading, writing, and going to the movies.
AO: Are there any ways in your life or educational journey that you feel like a trailblazer?
Jomi: As a first-generation student and the first in my family to move from home, I know what it’s like to be a trailblazer in my educational journey. Being the youngest, I was the last to do the college application process. However, I was fortunate enough to be offered so much help and opportunities that my siblings previously were not able to access. Because of this, I realized how blessed I was, and it made me realize the importance of what I was accomplishing. I was a source of hope and a symbol of all the things my parents had sacrificed for.
I am extremely proud and grateful for making those sacrifices well worth it and achieving what others before me in my family couldn't do. Being a first-generation student and the first to move away is something I hold with immense pride and gratitude. Being a trailblazer in education isn't always easy because you have no one to advise you as you experience new things for the first time. However, it is well worth it to leave the path taken by others in your family for another and accomplish things you never imagined you would.
My mom always taught me that there was no reward without risk. Everything I saw her do, she did with immense risk and uncertainty, but she persevered and kept pushing through even if she didn’t have all the answers or the support she needed. She is my biggest example of what a trailblazer is. Who I am now is because of what she did and who she is.
AO: What is a goal or aspiration that you're working towards?
Jomi: Throughout my time in AO and my high school career, I have felt and found the joy of giving back. I love to volunteer and help out the community, so one of my goals is to one day start several nonprofits of my own. For example, I want to start a non-profit that provides access to TV, film, and books to areas that don’t have them. Growing up, I was one of the few in Sierra Leone who had access to those commodities, and it made a positive impact on my life. It later made the transition to the U.S. appreciably easier because I had access to American films and books, which helped me learn American culture and customs. I want to be able to provide the same resources that were provided to me to other individuals so that they can also benefit in the same way I did.
Moreover, I hope to fund or create a non-profit that is similar to AO that really focuses on youth empowerment and college/career preparation. I believe so much in AO's mission and value the impact it has, so I would like to help continue that mission by helping students like me prosper.
AO: How would you describe the first-generation/low-income (FGLI) experience based on what you have seen & felt? What advice would you give to other FGLI students?
Jomi: Being a first-generation and a low-income student is a really unique experience. There is a lot of joy and pride as well as challenges that come with bearing that title. It is hard, especially as a teenager who is already dealing with the highs and lows of youth to also hold onto what it means to be the only one in your family going to college and coming from a low-income background. In my experience, I felt a lot of pressure to "make it." In my mind, I was supposed to go to the Ivy League, get the full ride, get a degree and a good career, and ultimately take my family out of low-income status. It was a silly ideal and pressure I had put on myself, but when you are a FGLI student and an immigrant, you see all the sacrifices that are made for you to be where you are today. I knew that I would feel immense shame and sorrow if I didn't honor those sacrifices. However, I also felt extremely grateful and happy that I had so much help, unlike those before me, as well as being the one to get to experience college and chase after my goals and dreams.
The FGLI experience is a double-edged sword, and most FGLI students who are like me understand the struggles as well as the joys that come with it. So my advice to other FGLI students is to take one day at a time and not worry so much about the future. I know that in my senior year, I was extremely nervous and felt pressure about my education, feeling like I wasn't doing enough. I felt extremely burnt out and, when I didn't get into my "dream" college, I felt like I had failed my family. However, what I learned, and am still learning, is that it's not the destination but the journey. Nothing good comes from worry and as important as the future is, the present is just as significant. And if you are in a constant state of worry you will miss the peace that comes with just living in the moment. I know that it is easier said than done, but this is the mindset that I've been recently trying to adapt to and I hope it brings other FGLI students the same comfort it did to me.
AO: What does it mean to you to be a part of the AO family?
Jomi: I didn’t know what to expect from AO when I was first accepted. But after two years it’s now become a second family and something that I’m extremely thankful for. AO is a community of people who understand your experience and where you’re coming from. So for me, I’ve never felt isolated or that I didn’t belong. It is very hard and rare to find that kind of community, and it’s the people that make it so special. Whether it’s the workshops or the favorite Cal-Wood trip every summer, AO feels like a family to me. Even though we are separated most of the year, whenever we come back together it feels like no time has changed at all. I am very grateful for my AO family.
I remember my first year and all the kind faces I saw and met. Everyone from staff to students made me feel welcomed and comfortable enough to get out of my shell. It was truly a magical experience because it was the first time in my life that I had connected with a community so quickly. So for me, it means a lot to be a part of the AO community. I feel safe, at home, and most importantly, welcomed.
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