I was only 11 years old when I joined The Wooden Floor - never imagining how much that decision would impact my life. Looking back, things could have turned out much differently for me.

I’ve had my struggles as a teenager. I even stopped attending The Wooden Floor for a few months because I was unhappy about money issues at home. The income from my father’s barbershop fell short. I wanted to work so I could be one less thing for my parents to worry about. The staff helped me get back on track by not letting me quit and always encouraging me to keep studying and applying myself. They believed in me.

It also helped when my friend Robert, a graduate of The Wooden Floor, sent me his graduation picture from Rochester University. I looked at that picture with his cap and gown and I saw myself. I got back in the dance studio where I could see life from a different perspective.

Dance helped me get to where I am today - graduating high school and on my way to college.