Growing up in North Minneapolis as a teenager, it was easy to fall into the wrong crowd. Idle time wasn’t just boring, it was dangerous. Many girls my age were getting pregnant, experimenting with drugs, or drifting deeper into street life.
I knew early on that if I wanted a different future, I had to keep myself busy with something that mattered. I told myself that one day I’d be a legend in whatever I chose to do.
It wasn’t easy to stay on the right path. Violence, substance abuse, and teen pregnancy were part of everyday life. To make it out, you needed a strong head and good influences, but those were hard to find in my neighborhood. So I turned to the one thing I loved most: dance…