Scholar of the Week
Taliah Gilliam of Petersburg High School
By Janeal Downs
As a child, vialis 40mg Taliah Gilliam always had an interest in history and government. The ways in which the government worked intrigued her and she made it a mission to learn as 
much as possible. She plans to further this goal by going to college and majoring in political science. “Political science will make me influential in the lives of everyday people, clinic ” Taliah wrote in an essay. Her dream profession would be to work her way up to a position as a U.S. senator and even the president of the country. Taliah is interested in meeting people of different ethnic backgrounds and diverse views.. As a politician she looks forward to meeting people with different backgrounds. Taliah believes that a career in politics will allow her to give back to society as she makes good policy decisions for everyone.
Currently in high school, story Taliah prepares for a life as a politician as a volunteer for marathons, 5K runs and the Food Banks. She also searches for ways to improve her public speaking skills, keeps up with world news and follows the current presidential race. She believes a woman president would be good for the country and would open a lot of doors. She will be voting in this year’s election, something that is very important to her, an honor. “I think it’s very important to vote. A lot of people think, well it’s just one less vote, but when you don’t vote it really does make a difference,” Taliah said. ”It breaks ties, it makes a difference, it really means a lot to America for everybody to vote.”
With only a few months before she graduates, Taliah plans to attend Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte, North Carolina. She was attracted to the school because it is a Historically Black College and University (HBCU) and also the family-oriented feel she gets from the university. ”I want to go to a school where I can feel like they’re my family, not strangers,” Taliah said. “It’s a smaller campus so the professors will be more involved with the students.” One lesson she will take with her from high school to college is to study more.
While Taliah hopes to one day influence the community and nation, one of her own inspirations is her mother. ”My mom got her degrees, she went to college twice and she’s in the profession she wanted to be in,” Taliah said. Politically, Senator Rosalyn R. Dance (D) is another one of her inspirations. Dance, who is also from Petersburg, reminds Taliah that someone from the area can make it politically and influence others.
As a politician Taliah will be exposed to diverse situations, influence the everyday lives of people, improve her own skills and “help preserve the nation’s sovereignty.” The number one thing she would like the community to know “is that it’s a challenge being a young black woman in Petersburg. I want them to know that I’m going to push as hard as I can to reach my goals. Nothing’s going to stop me, no obstacles, nothing.”
