Iwalewa (character is beauty) pt 1

Hi, my name is Iwalewa Oni. I am a Nigerian American. I was
born in Brooklyn, NY at Downstate Hospital on February 26,

1. My parents were overjoyed on the day I was born. They
   prayed for a girl after already having two boys. When my dad
   first laid eyes on me, he said I was the most beautiful girl
   that he'd ever seen. He told me that when he smiled at me, I
   blushed and looked away. It was then that my name came to him,
   Iwaoluwalewa. Which means Godly character is beautiful.
   However everyone calls me Iwalewa for short. Here's my story.
   The number seven was always my favorite number, my mom told me
   that it was the number of perfection when I was a little girl.
   Perfection in all things was my goal so the number seven stuck
   to me. That was until that dreadful day that I'll never
   forget. December 7th 2007 was a regular day or so I thought.
   I woke up exhausted from studying for midterm exams all night.
   I was certainly looking forward to Christmas break. What kept
   me going was that I'd be graduating from high school in June
   of next year. Clara Barton High School was okay but I was so
   over the drama and pettiness of my age mates. I was looking
   forward to getting out of Brooklyn and going to college.
   I wasn't the most intelligent student but I had pretty good
   grades. I grew up with a single parent and three siblings, I
   wanted to make my mom happy because of all the sacrifices that
   she made for us. After my dad's death she was thronged into
   the workforce again after being a housewife for 8 years. The
   day daddy died I cried all night long, I was his princess and
   he was the epitome of a great husband to my mom and an
   amazing father to my siblings and I. I being the third born
   and only girl needed daddy's love and he lavished it on me. It
   has been four years since his passing and I'm grateful for
   the years we shared. I have friends who didn't grow up with a
   father and the difference is clear. Many of them were
   constantly in search of love in all the wrong places, but I
   wasn't interested because my father's love was enough to last
   me for a lifetime.
   I looked at my alarm clock again and rolled my eyes, I was
   running late for school. And I hate being late. I had ten
   minutes to get ready and that was impossible. I read my
   morning devotional and prayed for a great day ahead and for
   success on my midterm exams. It was now 7:45 am and my first
   class was at 8:00 am. I took a quick shower brushed my teeth,
   combed my hair, and dabbed on a little makeup. I threw on a
   pair of jeans, a denim shirt, and a pair of leopard print
   flats. I grabbed my school bag and my small duffle bag with my
   work uniform and dashed out of the door.
   I got on the Q train at 8:12 am, I had on my head phones
   listening to "Faithful is our God" by Hezekiah Walker. Every
   time I listened to that song, I was encouraged. God has indeed
   been faithful to me and I owed him my life. I got to school at
   8:25 am, thankfully I was able to grab a bagel and a small
   cup of hot chocolate on the way. I went through the usually
   routine once I arrived at school, showed my school ID to the
   security guards and successfully went through the metal
   detectors. I finally got to class and quietly took a seat at
   the back. Many of my classmates were half asleep and others
   were in their own worlds. Early classes weren't a favorite
   among most people. I tried to listen and take as much notes as
   possible while eating my breakfast. It was our U.S. history
   class and I must admit that it was a bit boring. But I had an
   exam to pass so I sucked it up.
   The rest of the day went on fine, I attended all my classes,
   caught up with friends, and met with my guidance counselor
   about college preparations. Now it was time to head to work. I
   worked at Wendy's on Utica avenue. I really didn't like
   working at a fast food restaurant but it was better than
   nothing. I didn't always have to run to my mommy for funds,
   even though they didn't pay much. And working there didn't
   help with my waistline, I had unlimited access to food and I
   took advantage of it. Being a foodie, I was always being
   creative with my food choices. I ate everything from cheese
   burgers with bacon topped with chicken nuggets to bacon,
   cheese, chilly, and chive french fries. Yea, I am a foodie!
   I arrived at work 15 minutes before my scheduled work time and
   decided to grab something to eat before a long night. I got a
   spicy chicken sandwich and a sour cream and chive baked
   potato. After eating, I changed into my uniform and clocked in
   for work. Here we go, let the craziness begin!