Fitzann's Autobiography
My Autobiography
Descending from a very strict Jamaican family, there was never room for error. The words "I can't" or "it's too hard" were scarcely, if ever, uttered. Being number one was not a choice but a priority. Granted the expectations ran high, but as I grew, I learned that the idea is not to be the best; instead, it's to try your best.
Of the nine months I was in my mother's womb, eight of them were spent in Jamaica, West Indies. What compelled her to move suddenly to New York, I really don’t know, but as a result I became one of many crying babies in the Queens Hospital maternity ward. For the past ten years my mother has worked at a Japanese export/import company. As for my father, he is a college professor and well-known member of the New York Health and Safety Department.
Coming from a large family it was always hard to stand out. Therefore I was compelled to get involved with things that would make me noticeable. I became involved in sports. I gained a black belt in karate when I was only 10 years old, at which point I quit. I started basketball and swimming but became bored, so I quickly picked up tennis. Who could ever predict that my greatest accomplishments would come form a small ball and a racket? Although I only played for six years, I was amazingly good. I became one of the top ranked junior players in the country, appeared in numerous magazines, hit with many well know players, and got offered the opportunity to go to the Australian Open as a correspondent. This career came to an end when I began to compromise my education. To stay in shape I began to play volleyball and softball.
At first not playing tennis was devastating, but I discovered many talents that I never knew I had. I began to write poetry and got some of them published. I began to read and travel more. I picked up a little Japanese from my mother, visited more than eighteen states in the United States, visited two countries in South America, and three countries in Europe. Many people ask me if I ever regret giving up a successful career in tennis, but the fact is that it was after giving up tennis, I discovered the world and most of all, myself. I took on new responsibilities. I became the vice president of a youth group, joined a feed the homeless program and a after school program that helps kids in junior high school learn to read and write. I offered my services at a local Girl Scout organization and I began to tutor some of my peers in math and science.
Presently preparing me for college is the Gateway to Medicine Program at Jamaica High School. Outside of school, I am conscious of only three events that sparked my interests in science, both of which happened in a college setting. I spent one summer doing an internship in the labs of Suny Stony Brook University. I worked with a lab professor in the areas of biotechnology, microbiology, immunology, biochemistry, marine biology and biophysics. Next I worked at the Cold Spring Harbor lab. There I continued the work I began at Stony Brook. I also started working on elaborate scientific projects. Lastly, every Saturday I would find my way to York College and attend the Explore Program. Explore provided a medium in which inner- city youth, who showed exceptional talents in science, the opportunity to experience advanced scientific training.
I have been blessed with outstanding mentors, people who became friends and have opened many aspects of human creativity to me with their intellectual power. I have experienced a lot in my short life. In all that I do I try my best, and the results as you can see, have been wonderful. In the future I hope to go to a decent college, become an accountant or a biotechnician, to travel to Africa, and to teach tennis. My main goal is to become a positive role model for the next generation.
© Fitzann Reid 2000
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