#30Till30 - Embracing My Inner Nerd Defined My 20s

How did I get from mostly being a Potterhead to also a Trekkie, a Whovian, and all around sci fi/fantasy/comic enthusiast on a panel at Comic Con in just 10 years?

People who know me won't believe this, but I didn't really get into sci fi until my 20s. I grew up loving fantasy (so much Enid Blyton), and I remember seeing Sci fi on the tv...but it just wasn't something watched in our house in general.

It's a strange thing that it felt radical at times to be Black and to also be Nerdy. I feel lucky that today we almost take it for granted that Black people watch sci fi too. Plus we live in the age of Black Panther coming to the big screen...but I digress.

I like to call Harry potter my gateway drug. That break between books 4 and 5 introduced me to the world of Internet fan forums and fanfics. The last book came out the summer after my senior year of college, and I had a vacancy in my life.

So it was only fitting that I took up Star Trek. I'd been considering it for a whole, and had fond memories of seeing it on tv as a child...and the Internet was filled with excitement that a new movie would be coming out the next year, rebooting the series. Of course I started with the original series...which proved to be painful until I grew to love all the characters, even Kirk (I'll always be Spock's homegirl). And then I just got into loving even the campiness of some of those early episodes, the ridiculousness of how many "human like" aliens and "earth like" planets there were, the optimism of how noble humans would be in the future.

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By then I was deep into my early years of the PHD. Still, with just hours to spare, I managed to finish the sixth movie (the last one with just the original cast). I was of course hooked and went on to watch all of the next generation, the rest of the movies, deep space nine, and almost all of voyager (part of me likes to savor the fact that I still have Star Trek episodes left to watch). And now here I am, also a Whovian (yes David tennant is my favorite doctor), getting pulled into the marvel universe (agents of shield! Agent Carter! Jessica jones!), and even getting into comic books (❤ Ms. Marvel).

Maybe it's the misfits. The ones who don't quite fit in, they really shine in all these worlds. Harry, Ron and Hermione...Kirk, Spock, McCoy...they taught me the value of friendship, perseverance, loyalty, curiosity, and "a certain disregard for rules".

At times it illustrates the best parts of humanity, at times the worst. We get a little bit of science (just a little bit, though Star Trek has been a serious trailblazer), a little bit of adventure. We get these rich fictional universes that have been built upon over time. I always loved the escape. 

I used to think I wanted the transporter...but I'm starting to be on #teammccoy

Science fiction and fantasy like Star Trek, Doctor Who, Harry Potter and the Marvel world allows us to enter into this world that could almost be our world. And for a girl with a little too much imagination, that's the key.

#30Till30 - The Women that Inspired Me

You are only as powerful as those you surround yourself by. I've been reflecting on my personal community. I know, sappy, but I'm allowed every now and then...so without further ado, a rollcall through the last decade of some of the women that inspired me.

20. My 20s started with a sad death for Jamaicans - Louise Bennet, or as we fondly know her, Miss Lou - Poet, Educator, Folklorist. For me, she was an example of excelling with that Jamaican creative spirit. In keeping with the theme, an excerpt from her poem "Jamaica Oman" (Jamaican Woman):

21. Hermione. Okay really, J.K. Rowling, but we all know Hermione is her fictional counterpart. From Hermione to Mrs. Weasley to Professor McGonagall to Lily Potter to Ginny Weasley to Luna Lovegood, J.K. Rowling gave us a host of strong, powerful women, and they all shone in the last book. We can't be what we don't see...and it's important that we are reflected in our books and media. And in keeping with that thought, I will forever think of Hermione as portrayed in this beautiful fan art.

22, 23, 24. Ahh, graduate school. When you're working on a PhD, your entire world becomes the PhD. These were the years when I really started establishing my network of awesome women in tech, so I'd love to give a shout out to all the amazing women I know from my academia years. Grad school was hard - it would have been impossible without this support group. #SquadGoals.

25. For demonstrating that through perseverance and hard work, it's never too late to change your career path - my Aunt Lorna. Already an exceptional literature teacher, she went back to school and got a law degree.

Being called to the Bar.

26. For being such visible role models of women in tech excelling at LinkedIn - Erica, Flo, Prachi, Annabel. You have no idea how much it meant to see women like you when I started 4 years ago. #WITLinkedIn

Erica Lockheimer, Prachi Gupta, Flo Xhabija Grosskurth, Annabel Liu

27. For going back to school and finishing a Bachelor's degree in Language Education with a major in Literacy Studies, while doing all the amazing things a mother does - my mom. You demonstrated that all is possible through perseverance.

#ProudDaughter

I love that she looks a superhero here.

28. There's nothing I can say about her that wasn't said in the glowing Vanity Fair article last year. One of my favorite quotes? "She has a grace and graciousness about her that is singular" - Jeffrey Katzenberg, CEO of Dreamworks Animation. - Mellody Hobson.

29. For having the audacity to perform a song in the heart of Silicon Valley, with the entire country watching, with dancers dressed like Black Panthers, with the words "You just might be a Black Bill Gates in the making" - Beyonce.

And last but certainly not least - the epic group of women I am so lucky to know. Gabrielle. Myra. Jessica. Toni. Alexa. Jo. Denique. Alison. Charu. Caitlin. Thogori. Gwen. Kora. Dasha. Sarah. Sahai. Meg. Leila. Simone. Katherine. Bianca. And so many more. You all inspire me on a daily basis. I can honestly say that I would not be here at this point in my life and career without you.

#30Till30 - Why

It's the favorite joke of the sitcom - group of 20 year olds, living in some city, they get depressed upon turning 30. In modern life, 30 is a big deal. 21 is the age when you're no longer a teenager and have entered your adult years - by 30, you should have figured this out.

Because apparently turning 30 is the end of life as you know it.

My aunt called me on the first of the month to wish me a happy first day of my birthday month. She's a literature person, so it's fitting that she suggested I mark the month with a post each day. At first that seemed overwhelming...like May wasn't busy enough. But I like the idea of doing some extra reflection on milestone birthdays. For my 21st, I asked myself what my goal was for my ultimate contribution to the world. That was when I came up with the idea of opening a research center in Jamaica some day that would also have many opportunities for the K-12 group to be exposed to different parts of STEM. (Shameless plug, I talk about this in the Developer Chapter of the recently released Women in Tech book. Also, how crazy is it that I can shameless plug an actual book that I contributed to? How is this real life?)

So what are my goals for this? To reflect on my 20s, the good, the bad, the ugly. Quite frankly, I’m feeling pretty lucky these days, but as someone who identifies with Hermione, I’m always thinking about how I can improve. To look forward to the next decade of my life. To think about what I want to accomplish in this decade, and maybe update those life goals, see what I still like about them, what I can improve about them. And at the very least, to end the month not feeling like this dude...

Let's at least promise to never get how whiny Ted gets about pretty much everything.

...and more like Beyoncé.

Life can't be that bad if you're channeling Beyoncé.