Transformation doesn’t always come with a dramatic moment or a clear turning point. Sometimes it happens quietly—after heartbreak, exhaustion, and seasons where you barely recognize yourself. That’s how my change began. I didn’t wake up different one day, but by 2025, I knew something in me had shifted—and it was for the better.

I went through so much during 2024 and part of 2025 that I had no choice but to find myself, because there were many moments when I felt completely lost. In that process, I found confidence, freedom, and peace when I truly found Nadia. One of the most meaningful shifts I experienced was learning where my identity truly lies.

I absolutely love being a principal. It is the most rewarding—and challenging—job I have ever done. Every day, I get to make a difference in the lives of young people and, hopefully, in the lives of my staff as well. People are often impressed that I am a principal, especially as the first Black principal at my school. Somewhere along the way, I realized I had become too wrapped up in my title. Then it became clear: no matter what happens to me, that school will still stand. Being a principal is a job, but God’s calling on my life is rooted in purpose. Titles may change, but calling does not.

“Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.” — Proverbs 19:21

My identity is in Christ, and the gifts He has given me are meant to change the world—not to define me by a position.

Through deep reflection, I also realized that I had lost myself in previous relationships and situationships. I was so hungry for love that I was willing to do almost anything to keep someone in my life. I compromised my values and my beliefs more times than I care to admit. I was searching for fulfillment in places that could never truly satisfy. It took time—real time—for me to recognize the truth: I was the prize.

“I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” — Psalm 139:14

My identity is not tied to my relationship status or to a man, but to who God created me to be.

Did you know that snakes shed their skin in order to grow and release what is old? That image feels deeply personal to me. As I step into a new year, I feel like I’ve shed an old layer of myself. I’m in my growth, confidence, and peace era. I know where my identity lies now, and I move differently—secure in the truth that I am loved, cherished, and called.

“If anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” — 2 Corinthians 5:17

As you enter this next season, be secure in your identity, my friend. No matter the status of your job, relationships, finances, or circumstances, you are still exactly who God intentionally created you to be.