Hopes and Dreams
by Dr. Geraldine F. Dumas
from left, Dr. Geraldine F. Dumas and Camara Lashera Kind
It is a new year, 2023. Many teens, like adults, find it difficult to think positive considering so many national and local problems. Rising crime, especially among young people, the number of deaths among black teens and young black men, domestic problems, poor economic conditions, increased homelessness, and the alarming high school dropout rate to name a few. However, talking with a 17-year-old who has “her eyes on the prize” can be a great boost for all our morales.
Dedicated, determined and wise for her years, let me introduce you to Camara Lashera Kind, a high school senior with many hopes and dreams for the future and good advice for her peers. She has stuffed her school days with challenges, accepted opportunities and found successes, multiple in number and diverse in experiences.
She is an honor student at her high school and attends a local state university where she is a stellar student, earning college credits. She enjoys her favorite subject in school which is history and serves as a student manager for the tennis team and the basketball team. She is active in her school’s theater department. Talented in music, she plays the piano, flute, and viola. In her school career she has been a member of the school orchestra, band, and Mercer University’s Children’s choir. She is currently an intern at The Dozier Law Firm.
She is researching to find the perfect university to attend and seek a degree in political science. A member of Mount Vernon Baptist Church under the leadership of Rev. Dr Henry Ficklin, she developed a love for God and a passion for social justice. At an early age, she began observing countless positions advocating for social change throughout the middle Georgia area. Her hopes and dreams for the future are to fill in the gap of underrepresented minorities and lack of diversity in the legal profession and on the political landscape. She is planning for a career in law in conjunction with a political profession to become an agent for change within her community. She also has enthusiasm for mentorship. She would like to be a positive role model for black youth, stressing that “regardless of race gender or socioeconomic status, anything is possible through Christ.” When asked what her advice would be to youth today, she said, “an idle mind is the devil’s workshop. Young people can end violence in the community by simply finding positive environments and outlets to occupy their time. What you become and what you encounter in life is directly related to the decisions you make and the people you choose to hang out with. A positive environment can cultivate your mind. Good, supportive people are those who encourage your hopes and dreams for the future.”
When asked what place she would like to visit if she could travel anywhere right now, she said she would like to go back to Lima, Peru with her mother. She had an opportunity to visit there a couple of years ago and had so much fun she would really like to visit again. Her hobbies are traveling, coaching tennis, and working with volunteer youth groups like the Middle Georgia Youth Association.
Camara is the daughter of Damienon Kind and Nashera and William Adams.
