Yana Obiekwe

Chukwuayanam

There’s something about a name with meaning. Sure, we all think about how our future children will have a cute name to call on, but there’s something about a meaningful title bestowed upon a child at birth to carry for the rest of his or her life. On May 5th, 2000, my mother graced me with the name Chukwuayanam, English for “God don’t leave me.” Somehow, the older I grew, that name got chopped to C’ayanam, Ayanam, and finally, Yana. A few nicknames came and went, but none of them could have prepared me for the adversity God would later put me through either.

If you look in my eyes, do you see what I see? I see a strong-willed, young woman who is still afraid to be vulnerable in front of her peers. I see a teenage girl who longs for the times when things weren’t so bad, but I still persevere because I am resilient. The word resilience means [a person] who is able to withstand or recover quickly from difficult conditions, and in 2014, I earned this meaning to my name as well.

In late January of the same year, I was separated from my mother when she was held and detained by immigration services. I was 13, the prime age that a girl needs a mother figure, and instead, I was being displaced from home to home for about 3-4 months. Not many people can say that they were homeless, separated from his or her mother, and displaced from his or her home all within eight months. I say all of this to say that I am still here. God did not leave you, Chukwuayanam.

One quote from my favorite artist that has always stuck with me is “I might bend a little, but I don’t fold,” because my ability to survive my adversities, and still be successful despite my circumstances, defines my resiliency (“03’ Adolescence”). For this reason, I do not take any of my experiences for granted. I know that they are unique to me just like my name. I take pride in feeling like a stand out because of this, and I now have a sense of empathy for anyone I interact with. After all, it is too what strengthens my character and makes me resilient.