Mr. Fisher taught at my middle school. My teacher introduced me to him in sixth grade because she thought he could help make sure I stayed on the right track and made the right decisions. I saw Mr. Fisher two or three times a week, during lunch periods, free periods or after school. He became a mentor and second father figure. I stayed in contact when I got to high school. There was always a temptation to do what was considered cool, and cool didn’t necessarily go with what was right. I did get into trouble here and there, and Mr. Fisher was always a positive influence. He took me and my mom step by step through the college application and financial aid process.
He also made a lot of calls to universities where he thought I would be a good fit. One in particular was Williams College in Massachusetts, one of the top colleges in the country, where he did a lot of advocating on my behalf. His daughter had gone there. I was accepted at Williams, but found it extremely difficult my first semester because of the culture shock and the rigorous course work. I had grown up in Baltimore City. Williams is in the country and it’s very, very affluent. I wasn’t coming from an affluent background. Also, the course work was very rigorous. Mr. Fisher advised me on how to better use my time and how to immerse myself in the new culture. I ended up making the dean’s list a couple of times and won a prestigious research fellowship. I applied to Ph.D. programs along with law schools my senior year.
When it came time to deal with financial aspects of law school, again Mr. Fisher was a huge help; he’s an expert in how to get more money from various resources.
Looking back, I’m sure I would not be going to such prestigious schools if it wasn’t for Mr. Fisher and First Generation College Bound. He thought I was fully capable, even when I didn’t have that type of belief in myself, and made me push for something higher.
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