LaRisa Anderson

Hayward California United States

Tony Hoare once said “Inside every large program is a small program struggling to get out.” For me, life has always been about the naive pageant contestant mantra of “changing the world” to make it better however my talents permit. Carrying out this task is a lot more simple than people consider: creating a trending hashtag about the environment to get people talking about global warming is a life changing act despite how mundane it may be. Changing the world can also be more difficult than one imagines if you try to compare your triumphs with those of penicillin and pineapple upside down cake. For these reasons it is understandably frowned upon to ascribe your life goals to the ambiguous “change the world” dream; unless, you are a prepared participant in the race to affect people in the global platform. This must include a detailed timeline to how long each institution will make to graduate from, when you will make time to start a family, when you will receive the nobel peace prize, and when you will be having tea with the pope. Unfortunately, I have not prepared such portfolio but I will accomplish my first goal in the marathon to my dream: education.

By education I am referring to enlightening the population about issues at hand. Whether it’s social, gender, political, environmental, or health wise, I want to express those transgressions with the public in some form. I am a spoken word poet and a singer, which allows me to speak in an artistic format to an audience that is open minded and accepting. In the future I hope to expand my audience while still remaining true to my goals.

Outside of my starry eyed dream, my small program is to become a specialty psychologist. I’m currently interested in delving into the world of Industrial Organizational Psychology; although I dislike putting limits on my aspirations because I want to be multifaceted. Maybe there will be an opportunity for me to do research in a field I’ve never even heard of and that lands me in places I couldn’t have imagined? Or if I am at a fashion show (because I am in love with fashion), who knows if I will end up going into media consulting? The doors are endless when you have knowledge in your heart and grit in your spirit. I want to become the world’s best LaRisa Anderson there will ever be, and thats all it should remember me by.

  • Work
    • Ronald Mcdonald House of Long Island
  • Education
    • St. John's University