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Aminata Sy

One Year Anniversary of Destined's Launch

Published 15 days ago • 1 min read

The Destined Newsletter

One Year Anniversary of Destined's Launch || February 2026 || ISSUE #20

Author of the memoir Destined: A Story of Resilience and Beating the Odds

Dear Reader,

I engaged in a lively discussion with students at Community College of Philadelphia (CCP) about my memoir Destined earlier this month. The students studied the memoir as part of their English course curriculum and wrote reflective narrative essays focusing on Destined’s chapter 3 “The Turning Point” and chapter 4 “Juggling Identities.”

The topics we talked about included:

  • Resilience
  • Being a fully immersed learner
  • Writing and communication broadly
  • Critical thinking
  • Integrating into American society and culture
  • Seeking support
  • Serving others

It was a joy to return to CCP and share with students some of my experiences while I studied there and beyond.

I also met another CCP student who studied Destined in her prior English course. I signed the essay she wrote in that English course, and she gave me a copy of her essay. That was an unforgettable experience!

Do you know a community college or university student who would benefit from receiving my monthly newsletter with tips on learning, reading, writing, or resilience?

This month marks the one year anniversary of Destined’s launch at CCP. I couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate it.

Especial thanks to CCP Professor Ravyn Davis for organizing this discussion and for teaching Destined in her English courses along with other CCP professors including Eva Blackwell.

I would love your review of Destined on Amazon. Your review can focus on answering the following question: Can you share how you were impacted by Destined?

Keep going!

Aminata Sy

Author of Destined: A Story of Resilience and Beating the Odds​
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4508 Sansom Street Philadelphia, PA 19139
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Aminata Sy

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