My name is Jessica Lucky and I would best describe myself as a French Canadian, student-athlete. The Canadian part, I feel, speaks for itself. My mom is from Quebec and strongly felt that her kids should be bilingual and therefore registered all four of her girls in French schools. Although I may have learned French first in school, English was very present in my environment as my father spoke not a word of French. Being fluently bilingual has allowed me to have a different perspective on life as I’ve been able to observe and take part in two very different societies.

My high school experience was probably not like many of yours. I went to a French catholic high school, populated by predominantly black, lower class students. However, the high school itself was located in a predominantly white, upper class, English speaking neighborhood. This was a disaster waiting to happen. Fights were an everyday occurrence at my high school. However, rather than have its inner conflicts as many schools do, our school was different; it felt as though it was us against the world. This created a bond between us; regardless of our race, the common thread that ran through us all was our tongue and we were proud to be bilingual. Truth is, at the end of the day, I am very proud of where I came from and having experienced the things I did, has helped shape my beliefs, my morals, my character, and essentially, the person I am today.

As for the person I am, I am the type that fully commits themselves in everything they do. This speaks to my commitment in athletics and academics. I take a lot of pride in the work that I do which is why I fully invest myself into my work and similarly, strive to be the best athlete possible. However, although it breaks my heart to admit it, I will not be a volleyball player for the rest of my life. I am studying to be an orthopedic surgeon and am absolutely captivated by the large pool of knowledge that surrounds the medical field. I have no doubt that my desire to be an orthopedic surgeon stems from my participation and experiences in athletics. In the process of becoming a surgeon, we are required to take English courses however I take them not only for the requirement but also for personal reasons. Truth is, I am forever looking to improve and expand my knowledge of the English language as I was not exposed to much English literature growing up. I have no doubt that this course will be challenging for me however, I am very eager to begin the process. I took into to creative non-fiction with Dr. Singer my sophomore year and absolutely loved it. I hope to get the same out of this class.

Growing up, the biggest challenge for me was finding an identity; I was not considered English, but not born in Quebec, the French did not consider me French either. One of my toughness struggles was when a teacher told me that I had to either be an athlete or, passionate about school, but not both. To this day, I vow to prove that one can do both. “Be happy for this moment. This moment is your life.”