Who’s in your Circle?
At a very young age, my family instilled in me the vital importance of prioritizing school and my education. To my family, education was not a choice, it was a requirement. Even as a child, I was groomed to become the fifth-generation to graduate from college. I was extremely fortunate to have such caring family members that made sure I stayed on the right track. Growing up in New York City, and being in an environment where there are more opportunities to go down the wrong path than there are to go down the right one, I have my family to thank for steering me away from all the negative influences that could have impacted my chances of making a great life for myself.
When I finished middle-school, with the help of great mentors and advisors in my Breakthrough New York Program, I was awarded with an acceptance into the A Better Chance (ABC) program. This nationwide program gives thousands of students of color opportunities to attend great schools they would not otherwise would not have access to. Through ABC, I was able to attend Winchester High School in Winchester, MA through the Winchester ABC Community School Program. Here, I lived in a scholar house with seven other students from all over the country and was blessed to have Resident Directors (RD) that served as our guardians while away from home. The relationships I developed with my RDs, Jamoul and Alisa Celey, and the other scholars are ones I will cherish forever. They provide me with a support system every successful person must have, as they help with common life challenges I face everyday.
Thanks to my mentors, my colleagues, and family, I have been able to thrive personally, academically, and professionally. All in all, what I am trying to express through my story is that your success is dependent on the quality of people you surround yourself with. No one achieves success and prosperity on their own. Behind every great person is a strong support system comprised of amazing people that helped mold them into the person they are. If someone is not fostering your academic and professional success or helping to uplift you, then all they are doing is holding you back. You have to remove the cancers from your life in order to grow and develop. Be careful of who you let into your life, because this has a significant impact on where you will end up. The better the people you surround yourself with, the better you will be.
About Bryson:
Bryson was born and raised in New York City, and currently live in Harlem, NY with his mother. Through the A Better Chance Program, he was able to go out-of-state for high-school, and graduated from Winchester High School in Winchester, Massachusetts in 2016. After graduation, he enrolled at The Ohio State University to study political science with a specialization in inequality and justice. Currently, Bryson serves as a Student Administrative Assistant in the Frank W. Hale Jr. Black Cultural Center, as well as a Presidential Host for the Office of the University President at Ohio State. He is on track to graduate in the spring of 2020 with his bachelor degree.
Bryson Educational History:
2016 - HS Graduate, Winchester Public Schools
In progress - BA in political science, The Ohio State University
Connect with Bryson:
Bryson McEachin (LinkedIn)
Bryson McEachin (Facebook)
@brysonm_7 (Instagram)