This paper summarizes an interview with MS. SaNajah Blackman about her background and academic self during her school years. We held face-to-face and online interviews to get to know each other and discuss our papers. SaNajah was born in Muskegon, Michigan, on January 15, 2005, and is currently 17 years old. She is the oldest of three siblings. Her family was frequently moving from Michigan to Georgia during her youth until her grandmother opted to stay in Georgia, at which point her mother decided to stay with their grandmother for a year until they could find a place to live. She went from place to place after moving out, and when I asked why they moved from Michigan to Georgia, she stated her mother wanted to offer them a better opportunity.

SaNajah attended Panola Way Elementary School alongside some of her younger aunties, uncles, and cousins while living with her grandmother, and she stated in our interview that she attended perhaps 8 or 9 different primary schools. She attended Snellville Middle School in 6th grade and about three months into 7th grade when her family relocated to Stone Mountain; thus, she spent the balance of 7th grade and the complete 8th grade at Stone Mountain Middle School. After middle school, her mother encouraged her to select between a performing arts school and DeKalb Early College Academy, so she chose DeKalb Early College Academy, took her exam and was accepted. She enrolled in dual enrollment in August of 2018, the same year she started high school, and she began college studies in August of 2021, but she has still yet to decide on a major. She was an honor roll student and excelled in her studies throughout elementary school. She told me that she understands things quickly and does well on examinations, which she believes helped her succeed. This is similar to Dr. Steven Chew’s study tactics, which highlight the necessity of having a solid level of knowledge as a direct outcome of how hard one studies.

SaNajah’s academic self is described by three words: determined, passionate, and independent. She told me she was enthusiastic about her life and doing. SaNajah was also very resolute in her decision, which is why she said she was independent since she was a small child, which helped her focus on her future.

I was astounded by her life narrative and how far she had come. This led me to ask her who her biggest inspiration was and what she thought about life in general. She had a very profound response. She said that her mother was her biggest influencer because she gave her the life SaNajah has today with all of her complete efforts. SaNajah also mentioned that life is a history of someone accomplishing remarkable things during their time on earth, and she is trying her hardest to be the most remarkable person she could have imagined.

In conclusion, I saw a very bright mind in SaNajah and learned a lot from her experiences, so I finally asked her goals, and she said her goal is to continue her studies for the time being and has no specific desire on what she wants to do after that, and I believe she will achieve her goals and be successful. Overall, I found SaNajah’s story interesting and very inspiring, especially considering that I am a student just like her.

A picture of SaNajah in 2011 was Captured by a school photographer in Michigan.