Hello, my name is Eboné Walcott I am a senior here at Buffalo State University, I am a double major in Psychology and Business Administration, and I am looking to graduate this Spring. I was born in Brooklyn, New York but I grew up in a small town called Catskill in New York. EOP I believe that I am a trailblazer because in the spring I will be the first in my family to walk across the stage with not one, but two degrees. In the black community it is sometimes hard to convince people of my plan to become a pivotal stone in the mental health field. I was the first person in my family to introduce depression, anxiety and the ideas of suicide and I received a lot of backlash because they didn’t believe that this was a real thing and I have found that there are so many high functioning men and women in my life that have so much baggage and trauma but, tare high functioning and push everything to the side not even realizing that there are people here to help make the load a little lighter as long as there is a willing ness to acknowledge that there is a problem. I am committed to learning and to becoming the best Doctor of Psychology that I could possibly be. Throughout 4 years I have been knocked down, in what I thought would be my last semester in Spring 2023, I was told it wasn’t. I seriously just wanted to give up in these moments, but I didn’t. I have 4 beautiful little sisters that are looking up to me. They all follow in my footsteps, and they truly deserve to have the role model that I wish I had growing up and while making all my major life decisions. With 2 of the 4 following behind me and in college; one is looking at law and the other for business administration where she already owns her own business at 19 years old. These are my reasons for continuing. I create my own version of success because my future goals require discipline, patience, and a whole lot of faith. I am motivated by my peers who have now graduated, and I am currently having the best semester since I was a freshman. I do not compare myself to those around me but, boy am I proud. I am embarking on a journey to be the best version of Eboné regardless of the hurdles I have leaped. I am thankful to be here where I am right now at the pace that I am going. I happen to be a change agent in my community because when I first came to Buffalo State, I vowed to do something different. I joined a Jewish sorority on campus in Spring
2020. After Covid and seniors graduated there was a lack of diversity, and I chose to run for Vice President of this sorority which I did win over girls that were much older, wiser, maybe even prettier than me. I was the first African American Vice President in Sigma Delta Tau history at Buffalo State, and I left this community with gems that cannot be replaced. There are so many girls from all different races and ethnicities now in 2023 and that was hard to build. Not only the joining of different communities but, the acceptance of the differences that we share as well is what I am proud of. I am a free thinker and I never let the ugliness in other people change who I am. I continued to speak up for people that were mistreated when they couldn’t find their voice and I will continue to do so. It's just in my DNA. Thank You Ms. Carole for helping me become this woman that I am today, your passion and drive and love for your students is unmatched.
