Unapologetically Me

This tattoo was my third tattoo but the most profound because it was a reclamation of my body. I got this tattoo to defy social norms about tattoos and professionalism as a first year graduate student pursuing a degree in Speech Pathology. One of three Black students in my graduate class of 50 I felt pressured to present an assimilated perception of what a professional looks like. Days before my program started I got this tattoo on my arm as a "F U" to those perceptions. I am me and should be accepted as such. She represents my strength, fragility and authenticity. I wear her proudly and graduated top of my class. My tattoos do not define my abilities and are windows to my personal expression.