Fatoumata Diallo

Writing for the Sciences

Professor Zayas

Introductory Letter

Feb. 5, 2025

All About me

Dear Professor, Zaya

I hope all is well, my name is Fatoumata Diallo, I am a first-year student currently enrolled in the writing for sciences course, and This is my second semester at The City College of New York. I am also a Biology Major.

I was Born to 2 Guinean parents, I was named after my grandmother on My mother’s side As I said my name Is Fatoumata, but I go by Fatou because most people struggle to pronounce my first name. A fun fact about me is that people also pronounce my last name wrong it is spelled Diallo, but it is supposed to be pronounced as jah-low. I was born in Conakry, Guinea in 2006 and lived with my mother up until I turned three and moved to America more specifically New York. I lived with my dad and aunt until my mother came to live with us. While living with my aunt I met my best friend, Haja, she is one of the only people I talk to. After my mother came, I moved out of my aunts and finally got experience two parent household. Later My sister was born in 2012, and I Had already started public school, at first, I was excited that I was finally going to have someone to play with at home but then I became upset after realizing that she had most of my parents’ attention. I was closest to my father so not always paying attention made me feel jealous at the time. My father and I have a close bond, he was the one to help me realize my love for math.

As a child, I have always had a strong love for numbers so, naturally, one of my strong interests became math. I even participated in a math bee, and when I placed third, it fueled me to improve and excel in math. Once my father recognized how dedicated I was to learning math, he tutored and quizzed me on my skills until it became second nature. I continued to improve and eventually won first place in the next math bee I participated in. Going from third place to first place motivated me to work harder and become better at math and explore other areas of math. One of my favorite things about math is how it constantly challenges me to get better. Even though math is my favorite subject, I am a biology major, and I hope to one day become a doctor. The reason I want to pursue that career is because health care needs to change; the medical field still lacks Black doctors and remains very white, and male dominated. I hope to change the inequality and discrimination that people of color, specifically women of color, face when looking for health care. Black women have the highest mortality rate during childbirth in the U.S., and although there are actions taking place to help, it is still not enough. Therefore, I aim to create a safe medical space for women of color and help them to feel seen and heard.

Growing up with a Fulani mother, my childhood looked quite different compared to my peers. I was not allowed to have sleepovers at my friend’s house or watch TV on weekdays. But it was not all bad. I remember one thing my mom taught me was “to always be myself.” One thing I love about her is her authenticity. Authenticity was one thing I struggled with when I was younger. I would pretend to like the same things as others just to fit in and make friends. I would act out to make myself seem cooler. I would pretend to be someone I was not, and it took a toll on me. I remember I was never genuinely happy. It took a while for me to start being myself and ever since then, I have been the happiest. My mother has always encouraged me to be genuine and original, and it is the one thing I am most proud of myself for now. Because of my experiences, I am confident that I will bring my true self to this class.