Shae McCoy
undergraduate digital communication student
Hometown: Baltimore, Maryland
High School: Baltimore City College High School
Student status: First-generation college student
I am strong.
I am intelligent.
I am ambitious.
Aside from being a big sister, I am a journalist and a photographer. I spend most of my time perfecting my craft. I also enjoy volunteering and helping wherever I can. I had a tough childhood because I was raised by a parent who was addicted to drugs. I struggled in high school and dealt with mental health challenges. I used to look around my neighborhood and see examples of who I did not want to be. I wanted nothing more than to surpass the expectations that were set for me. I wanted to show my younger sisters that success is possible no matter where you come from.
I wanted to show my younger sisters that success is possible no matter where you come from.
At one point in my life, I found myself in a position lower than I wanted to be. I had surrounded myself with people who were very negative. I knew that I had to make a change because I wanted to set a good example for my younger sisters. I decided to separate myself from those people and I started to do better. I wish I would have started this process earlier in my life, but I am glad that I was able to make this change before it was too late.
It is important to find someone who will invest in a young person’s life. My best friend’s mom invested in me and she encouraged me to apply to the University of Baltimore after graduating high school. I began attending UBalt in 2010. My time at UBalt was exciting but also challenging because I wasn't where I wanted to be mentally. It was hard to focus and I was unable to excel academically. I left UBalt in 2013 and during that time I was able to find some direction. I started my own blog called Uncommon Realist. My blog gives me the opportunity to write, interview interesting people and share other people’s stories. The mission of my blog is to share authentic news that sheds a positive light on Baltimore. During my time of rebuilding, I have been published as a writer as well as a photographer, and I also write articles for UBalt’s newspaper, The UBalt Post.