A native New Yorker, born and raised in The Bronx, I began writing in my early teens as a coping mechanism to deal with the environmental influences to which I was exposed. The need to write and my love of music offered an alternative to the environment which consumed many of the young people in my community. I attended the Fiorello H LaGuardia School of Music and the Arts and Performing Arts in New York City. Academic excellence was emphasized as well as creative talent. I believe the focus on these attributes afforded me the strength not to succumb to the negative influences presented in my youth. I am not unscathed though. Through many struggles, some of which I continue to fight, I am in the pursuit for happiness and fulfillment.
Life teaches us lessons in which we all should embrace. Our experiences prepare us for challenges in life. Whether those experiences are pleasurable or painful, they are the builder of our character. How we manifest that character defines the person we become.