In December 2022, I spent Christmas in Lansing, Michigan, while home for the holidays. I wrapped up at 5:30 p.m., and as I waited for my car to warm up, three young men held me at gunpoint and tried to pull me from the vehicle. I was able to put the car into drive, and as I wrestled the door closed, I was shot in the side.
Over the course of 120 seconds, my life completely changed. I was 27 and one semester from finishing my graduate degree. I suffered a pelvic fracture and nerve damage to my lower spine; I underwent lifesaving surgery for damage to my internal organs. My initial recovery was painful and arduous. I still struggle with daily physical challenges. But the process of healing mentally has turned out to be much harder.
The young men who hurt me knocked on my window, and I rolled it down. They could not have been older than 23. I do not know if they meant to kill me, and I do not hold anger towards them. However, I do know that something needs to change. I hope to play a small part in making our world a safer place.