It has been ten years since I defended my PhD, and this episode is my reflection on what that decade has meant. The story reaches far beyond the lab. It is about family who believed in me, mentors who sharpened me, and a country in turmoil that demanded my attention even as I pursued science. Morehouse gave me confidence, Chapel Hill tested my resolve, and the rise of Black Lives Matter reshaped my sense of purpose. The PhD gave me rigor and permanence, but it also became a foundation for impact. Now I look ahead to the next decade determined to embrace every part of myself—scientist, podcaster, creative, entrepreneur, and educator—and to live more boldly, more loudly, and more unapologetically than ever before.