Fall 2002
CAREER STATEMENT
Kenya Thomas
Biology Major
Timbuktu Academy Scholar
Southern University and A&M College
Baton Rouge, LA 70813
“Phenomenal woman, That’s me” (Maya Angelou). From days that have passed, to
many days to come, that one line from Maya Angelous’s poem “Phenomenal Woman” has
inspired me greatly. The reason it inspires me so much is that it reminds me of a woman who
exhibits extraordinary strength and ability that I one day hope to possess. That woman Ms.
Angelou is describing is my mother. She raised me in a single parent home, and when things
started to get rough, she dared to run. My mother had me at the age of fifteen and things were
truly rough on her emotionally and physically, but she stayed in school and graduated number
two in her high school graduating class. She went to Southern University A&M College in Baton
Rouge, Louisiana, for one semester then unfortunately she had to drop out. She dropped out to
raise her only child, me, and make sure I was taken care of financially the best way she knew
how. That is why I owe every accomplishment in my life to her, that “phenomenal woman.”
In May 2001, I graduated first in my graduating class at Bossier High School in Bossier
City, Louisiana. I was the first black Valedictorian in many years at that particular school. The
title meant a lot to me, but I knew from that very moment I would have to uphold what it meant
from that moment on. The title meant I was the best of the best, the strongest of the strong, and
most of all, the fittest of the fit. I was beginning to measure up to my mother’s standards. While
attending high school, I attended a summer program called LAPrep at LSU in Shreveport for two
summers where I was taught how to think logically by working so many logic problems that
finally I realized “hey, I better use this sometime in my life.” Likewise, I am. In high school I was
a member of the student council all four years and also I served as Sophomore Class President,
Junior Class President, and Senior Class Vice President. All of these leadership positions help
mold me into the young lady I am now. I am now a first semester Junior at Southern University
A&M College in Baton Rouge, Louisiana where I am currently matriculating a Bachelor’s Degree
in General Biology with a minor in Mathematics and Chemistry. I am an Honor’s College
Member, a Timbuktu Scholar, and a Thurgood Marshall Scholarship recipient. Some of the
organizations I belong to are Honors Student Association, Timbuktu Academy, Alpha Mu Alpha
(Foreign Language Honors Society), Beta Kappa Chi and NIS (both Science Honors Societies),
and Physics’ Club. It is amazing that I am majoring in science now because in high school I
hated science. I had horrible science teachers who made science boring. But I realized to
reach my goal in life I had to do what I had to do. My goal in life is to continue my education
after college and go to graduate school where I plan to obtain my Ph.D. in Biology. I was given
the privilege of researching in the Material Sciences & Engineering Laboratory this summer at
the National Institute of Standards & Technologies where they helped me enhance my research
skills. In the summer 2001, I had the privilege of observing analytical procedures in North Oaks
Laboratory involving Urinalysis, Microbiology, Blood Bank, Hematology, and Chemistry. My
research interests are a broad range of anything that relates to Biology. The reason I am not
limiting my research interests is because at this point in my life, I have an idea of what I would
like to do with my degree in Biology but I am not exactly sure. In obtaining all the professional
and research experience available to me I hope to be on my way to becoming the phenomenal
women that is my mother.
