I've carried loss like heavy stones, felt cancer bloom beneath my skin. The pressure pressed against my chest,but still I chose to rise and win. Mrs. Cathy said, "Take care of you." The doctor said, "It's fine to break." I took a breath, I shed my tears, then stood back up for my own sake. I built my empire brick by brick, wore Harvard's colors like a crown. I spoke in rooms that banned my kind, and helped the lost become the found.