Breaking Myths about Medication and Diagnosis
“I Am African & I Can” is a women’s empowerment blog highlighting stories of Black women’s struggles and successes.
By Hadiatou Wann | 07/24/20
Kadiatou Diallo learned the meaning of hard work at a young age. Growing up in her native country Guinea, on a daily basis she used to walk more than 2 miles to fetch water, do chores, attend school and help her aunt care for her children. While her father was abroad, she was assigned an English tutor because she would eventually join her parents in the United States.
When she first came to the United States at the age of 15, her father asked her what she wanted to be. Her immediate response was: “A pilot.” However, her father wanted her to become a nurse. In order to set her up for success, Kadiatou’s father hired two tutors to help her with school work as she adjusted to a new environment. She also joined extra curricular activities. Although she was new to the country and spoke little English, she passed her Regents Exam and was able to graduate within 3 years.
Once in college, she enrolled in all nursing courses. She took the Nursing Entrance Test (NET), but did not pass. She busied herself and worked as a Home Health Aide caring for an autistic child. While working there, Kadiatou met a visiting nurse and expressed to her how unhappy she was trying to pursue a career she did not like. The nurse advised her not to pursue a career she wasn’t interested in, and the patient’s mother —who was a case manager at a hospital— told her to study Psychology.
Open to the idea of a career change, Kadiatou spoke to her school counselor about alternatives. When the counselor pulled up Kadiatou’s transcript, they noticed that out of all the courses she took, her highest grade was in Psychology. It confirmed to her that Psychology would be a better fit for her.
To start off, the Collegiate Science and Technology Entry Program (CSTEP) was recommended by a Friend and Kadiatou completed a 2-year research focused on the psychological effect HIV/AIDS has on infected children. This research was presented at the CSI Undergraduate Program, and at the annual CSTEP poster presentation in Lake George, NY.
After Kadiatou obtained her bachelor’s in Psychology from The College of Staten Island, she continued with her master’s at Saint Joseph’s University, in Pennsylvania.
While managing her new life as a wife and mother, she spent 40 hours a week just on school assignments and worked 3 jobs. At one point, it took a toll on her grades. She left her 3 jobs and went back to New York for 6 weeks in order to focus on her schooling.
There were days when she wanted to give up but remembered how much her father invested in her. When she returned to Philadelphia, her energy was renewed and her grades went up.
This year, after jumping over all those hurdles, Kadiatou completed her master’s in Applied Behavior Analysis. She will be working with children who have been diagnosed with autism. When she took the exam to become a Registered Behavior Technician, she went through it with ease because she already learned most of the practices while working in the field. As of now, she is preparing for a board exam to become a certified Behavior Analyst.
Sara Rowbottom expresses, “I have known Kadiatou since early 2010. She was referred by one of her teachers during her junior year of high school to a Leadership Program that I was running at the time. She participated in that program for a year and a half until she graduated high school, and she volunteered as a tutor in an after school program that I also ran at the time, and we have stayed in touch over the years. I’m not sure what she would say, but I think one of the things that cemented our relationship was working together through her transition from high school to college – that can be an incredibly stressful time for any young person!”
Sara continued: “I admire so many things about Kadiatou. She is intelligent, caring, motivated, and focused, but I think perhaps what I most respect is the way she balances strong commitments to her family, to herself, and to her career. She has always known what is important to her, how to seek out support when she needs it, and she has patiently but diligently persevered to get to where she is today.”
Kadiatou says that in her community, oftentimes when a child has a disability, some assume that he or she has been afflicted with Black magic or witchcraft. Now that she has the education and experience, her goal is to break myths about medication and diagnosis, and help parents in the United States and in Guinea become open to getting professional help for their children, when necessary.
There is no stopping this woman. Although at first she set out to become what her father envisioned for her, she was able to make a U-turn and realign with her true calling. Her success story proves that when you do what makes you happy, you’re more likely to attain your goals or even surpass them.
Welcome to Kadiatou’s World
“To my 3-year-old daughter Mariam, being an American Citizen gives you all the opportunities to a great education and a successful career. I pray every single day for Allah SWT to bless you for me and make you a great woman of Islam. You are a beautiful gift from Allah. You are so special and different. You are a gifted child. As young as you are today, you can fluently speak 2 languages. You communicate like an adult. You understand who and when to speak what language.“—Kadiatou Diallo
“You are a true gifted child. I want you to grow up and be in service to the community. You already have big dreams and I am highly supportive of you. I enjoy our Sunday educational therapy sessions. You surprise me every day with your talent. You are growing up in a healthy nurturing environment, you are loved and cared for. Thank you for giving me the strength to become who I am today. I love you my sweet pea.”—Kadiatou Diallo
“Don’t let anything or anyone discourage you from getting where you want. A strong woman knows what she wants. She makes sure she sets goals and achieves them.”
“The best revenge is success.”
“Stop finding false information from nonprofessionals.”
“Educate yourself about the field before you go into it. Make sure it’s something that you want to do, and get a job in the field to help you understand what the book covers.”
Connect with Kadiatou:
Facebook: Heureuse Kadi Umm Mariam
Instagram: @heureuse_kadi
Email: kadiayoudiallo@gmail.com
Read other success stories here: www.iamafricanandican.com/blog
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