By Marc W. Polite
Good afternoon, my readers. On this week’s author profile, we meet Daniel K. Osei, author of the forthcoming book “I Am Not My GPA”. In this profile, we learn about what motivated Daniel to write this book.
Polite On Society: Tell us a bit about yourself. Who is Daniel K. Osei?
Daniel Osei: I am humble, I’m a listener, I’m an author and I am a continuous learner of life since 1995. I am a graduate of Brooklyn College with a Masters degree of political science and I speak Russian, Spanish and English. I have been an Author over the last six to eight years and recently got back into writing because of the transition made from one state to another. I am passionate about learning new information consistently over the last thirty years, I am passionate about how climate change is having on humanity not only a global scale but an interplanetary impact effecting the other eight planets in the Universe, which hardly anyone mentions. I’m a lover of technology (Apple, since 1998) and I care about the type of world we want to leave for future generations. I am a brother, an uncle, a son, a Leader with a brilliant mind and creative soul. I’m a fighter, I am a survivor of living in New York City (which is traumatic for some) and living in various places in the five boroughs.
POS: What motivated you to write “I Am Not My GPA, I am much more?”
DO: In 2011, the original Title of the memoir was “I Am Not My GPA” only (designed to enter graduate school) and I wanted the person reading my “Statement of purpose” to understand that even though a GPA to enter graduate school is important. The GPA alone, is not and should not be the only criteria that made Daniel over the years. There were so much more to Daniel than my low 2.3 GPA and subconsciously that is why I kept pushing and fighting to enter graduate school. The low 2.3 GPA, I had at the time applying to Brooklyn College in Summer of 2011, I thought was a one way ticket back home? However, destiny had other plans for me.
Denied, was stamped in huge letters on the letter sent to me from Brooklyn College and that was because of the low gpa had coming from Hunter-College at the Sociology Department. What hurt me most was seen as just a number, not a person, not a personality, just a number and that hurt me to the core of my heart. However, that gave me more energy to enter Brooklyn College Fall of 2011 and that denial from the Sociology Department did not stop me at all from entering graduate school. Said to myself, which field is related to Sociology and then political science is the first subject that came to mind. At first, I was worried I would get the same response of “no entry” into the program as the Sociology department? Yet, still applied and when this Black Woman Counselor (forgot her name) interviewed me and accepted me into the political science program with a 2.3GPA! Not only did I literally “kiss the ground” of the entrance of Brooklyn-College. I then asked the Black Counselor why did she accept me into the program?
She said, she was looking at my college transcript, first year all A’s and B’s. Second year, one can see where the accident took place and affected your grades in 1996. However, you stayed in the program Daniel and despite the low grades, received at first, you kept moving forward and eventually graduated from Hunter-College twelve years later.
The Black woman counselor knew, if I showed determination and preservance at Hunter College, I will do the same at the political science Brooklyn College. She welcomed me into the program with open arms of political science, and she pulled me into her office and told me directly in my face, “Daniel, don’t let me down!” I took her words to heart and three years later, graduated from the political science program in Spring 2015, with a political science Masters degree. In the Fall of 2015 (the same year), started a second masters of Education and that was the motivating force behind why “I Am Not My GPA, I am much more” is written for the public.
POS: What do you hope readers will take away from this memoir?
DO: The take away message from this memoir is I want readers to understand this book or memoir is highly relatable to a wide spectrum of people and it can connect with all types of individuals such as students, those in physical rehabilitation centers, those who just started living on his or her own, a gun shot victim, recently robbed and lived to tell the story, those who just had major surgery, just lost a limb from surgery, just was sexually assaulted by men or a woman, those who dont know what to do next in their lives, those with no guidance, rape survivors, domestic violence-survivors, those who just entered the foster care or a GroupHome facility. Parents who feel overwhelmed by their current situation, educators, and anyone who has faced setbacks or been judged by their circumstances. This book has the potential to become a compelling and widely appealing inspirational memoir for a wide range of people and that is the takeaway message I want readers to take from this memoir.
POS: Could you share with us your outlook on the importance of education? What role has it played in your life?
DO: Yes! Education, for me has been a transformative experience for me since entering high school, to Hunter College and then to graduate school. Education, has mentally and physically improved my life in every area I could think and when I graduated from college in the Winter of 2008/2009, I thought I was super smart, extremely wise and no one could mentally touch me? I was so wrong on that assumption. Don’t get me wrong, you can get a college education but I think getting a graduate degree “opens your eyes to a whole new world.”
Entering graduate school at Brooklyn College, I made many more connections with Professors, Lawyers, Doctors, politicians, CEO’s, etc. Don’t get me wrong, college is important, it gives you the basics to live through “society!” However, if you want to thrive in America and mentally survive battles you will encounter then graduate school is where I recommend be the next step in your educational journey!
Over the last fourteen years, from high school to college, then college to graduate school all taught me getting an education is not about just a job. No, no! Getting an education, teaches us how to survive in a society that is not friendly to Black Men or Black Women. At every stage of psychological development I went through since the age of eighteen, education has taught me who to battle, who not to battle, should I put my personality forward or remain humble for the moment? All, of that is from the education I took advantage of in the last thirty-five years.
Education, has served as a blueprint for me and a guiding post since my first job working as an “assistant Manager” at Carvel IceCream on 233rd in the Bronx. Where my boss back in 1994, wanted me to focus on work (for him) but something kept pulling me to education. Finally, the love of education makes me speak three different languages, I will try anything once, and education can do more if you allow it into your life.
POS:If you could share one life lesson with our readers, what would it be?
DO: The life-lesson, I want people to walk away with is very clear: a person’s value is not measured by one number, one’s GPA, one failure, one recovery, one mistake, one accident or one difficult chapter in his or her life. A persons value is measured by his or her tenacity, his or her grit they have, their determination, his or her inborn will power, their consistency and the will to keep on moving forward in life! No matter what the situation or no matter what anyone says or does not say to you! Continue, to move forward and remember little progress is still progress and it’s much better than no progress at all.
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I’d like to thank Daniel for taking the time to share what inspired him as a writer.