(light, upbeat, piano music)
(people chattering)
I always knew that I eventually wanted
to better affect teenagers in their mental health,
in some way.
And so at Stanford my senior year,
I had my epiphany but also like midlife crisis
of, wow, you don't just have to become a psychologist
or psychiatrist to affect mental health.
Everything affects mental health.
Education affects mental health.
Socioeconomic status affects mental health.
And that freed me.
I majored in human biology
and I chose to concentrate in the biological
and psychological determinants of adolescent mental health.
- [voice off camera] Girl, what?
(girls laugh)
Post-graduation, after completing a one-year fellowship,
I started working at Eastside College Preparatory
as girls' dorm residential faculty.
So, that basically means that I live and work
in the girls' dormitory,
which is a private,
semi-boarding school for all first-generation,
low-income students of color.
(girls talking)
My family is really big.
(laughs)
I have five siblings.
My mom and my dad are actually both from Lagos, Nigeria.
My parents got divorced when I was in second grade.
She has always kinda been the main supporter in my family
and so she was working nights as a nurse in Phoenix.
My mom is my rock and my shining star.
She has sacrificed so much throughout her life
to be able to support us.
I went to a big, public school in Arizona,
but neither of my parents were ever,
oh you have to go to college,
but it was always just implied.
Like we just knew it -- like, we go to college.
Since I was younger, I've always been very saddened
at the idea of stressing my mom out.
I think knowing that she, like, worked really hard
at nights to take care of us.
So when my mom said she'd support me,
it was me kind of not talking to her about finances,
'cause I didn't want to stress her out.
I never wanted to be another strain.
Just -- it's, like, yeah ... I've always made it work.
So afraid or just saddened at the idea of her being
up at night or something, being, like,
How am I gonna pay for Jemima's college?
I don't remember actually looking
at how much Stanford would cost.
It's, like, my step-dad brought it up.
'Cause it was my step-dad who was like, it wasn't an option,
so kinda just, don't even fully consider it,
there's no way we can pay for this.
Which is like really disheartening.
I was like this is my super-reach school,
but it'd be cool.
(laughs)
And so I still applied.
Then once I did get in
and I saw the sticker price,
then I was like, alright.
(laughs)
Don't really know what my plan is here, ya know?
And just hoped against hope that financial aid
would make that tip.
I think in typical teenage fashion I very much
compartmentalized limitations that would have been
on my education.
It very much was like,
yeah it would have been really cool to go to this school
but it's too expensive
and I probably, actually would hate it.
You know the way that when you can't actually have something
you diminish it, like, I never wanted it in the first place?
I remember, like, getting my financial aid letter,
and being, like, so blown away.
That financial aid package was like,
oh ... it's not only that it's possible
to go to Stanford,
it's the financially responsible decision to go to Stanford
because this package is really good.
(laughs)
You know, like, really good.
There was definitely a lifting of a burden
and just excitement.
I'm going to Stanford.
Such an exciting feeling.
Financial aid covered the quarter where I studied abroad.
I'd never left the country in my life
and getting to do it on Stanford's dime was,
I can't even say dream come true
'cause I never thought to dream about it.
Sometimes schools seem inaccessible because GPA or price tag
and just being able to be like, ignore all of that
and just think about, "What do you bring to the table?"
My friend from school was like, that's a really good school,
don't tell yourself no.
You deserve to at least find out.
It worked out for me. (laughs)
You know?