Naleighna Kai's Literary Cafe Magazine NK Literary Cafe 2018 Mother's Day Issue | Page 15

Sierra Kay
This has been a recurring theme in my
can’t tell me that I’m not intelligent. So I set up a
life. Sometimes it’s frustrating when others
meeting with the same department chair.
He told me that I needed an undergrad in English automatically get the benefit of the doubt and I
to be successful. We made a deal. I would take two need to prove my capabilities over and over again.
“If you dare not, you don’t.” And if nothing else,
classes over the summer and if I survived, then I
I dare. I dare to look a department head in the
would be allowed into the program. Bet.
Now, in a way, he was right. Having an English eye and say, “I belong here, whether or not you
major would have helped considerably. I didn’t believe I do”. I’ve looked at CEO’s head on and
know half of those books referenced in class. dared. That’s not always politically prudent in the
One thing I did know was that I had never failed corporate environment, but my momma raised
warriors, not whiners..
academically. And I believed in my mind.
I know sooner or later, the seeds I’ve sown and
I raised my hand whether my answer was right or
wrong. I stayed engaged. I’d show up at teacher’s continue to sow will blossom into something
beautiful and transcendent. No need to stop my
office hours. Oh, they knew me.
efforts because some random person doesn’t
My “moment” occurred when one professor in
believe in my dreams. As my momma and Walter
a theory class read my assignment and said, “You
Wintle said, “Sooner or later the man (or woman)
can write.” I still remember his awe in my ability.
who wins, is the one who thinks he(she) can.
Writing theory wasn’t my strong suit at the time,
.
but I could, every now and again, turn one hell of
a phrase.
See, even his belief of my limitations, based on
his review of my background, didn’t transfer to
me. I never blinked. Never doubted. Damn, I was
audacious. I put in the work to match the belief.
I graduated with my master’s and never failed a
single class. And you know what? Several students
with the right “credentials” didn’t manage to do
the same.
Sierra Kay has an M.A. in Writing from DePaul University, won a Nuyorican Poets Cafe Short Story
Slam, participated in comedy fests as a member of the writing teams for Spankx and N20 Comedy.
She also writes poetry and suspense novels. Obviously, she’ll try anything at least once. Her two novels
From Behind the Curtain and In the Midst of Fire are available online. Learn more at sierrakay.com
NKLC Magazine | 15