I grew up my whole life around the law. My dad was a lawyer for 8 years and then a judge for 10. Soon after that, my mom started working as a law clerk in the same building my dad worked in. I've also been watching Law and Order and Criminal Minds for years. It took me a couple years to process how the justice system worked but eventually I figured out what not to do and what to do in certain situations.
All of the scenarios I heard on different television programs, I never thought it would happen to me until it did. My day started off as a regular college student at the University of Tennessee. I had a night class from 5 pm until 6:10 on Tuesdays and Thursdays. My professor let us out early which obviously I was thrilled about so I can go eat. Before I started walking back to my apartment, I made a pit stop to use the bathroom. I was distracted by my phone so I was not aware of my surroundings.
As I entered the bathroom, I went into the second stall. My body was facing the toilet and when I went to turn around to put my backpack on the hook, there was a male student standing there. I could feel my body trembling like a earthquake. I could feel the sweat dripping down my face. I questioned him and asked if he knew this was a woman's bathroom. He said he knew exactly what he was doing. Before I knew it, my face was numb. My whole face was a human punching bag. The worst part of this situation is I never saw this student in my life. I had no idea who he was or what he wanted.
I struggled getting out of the bathroom stall. He wouldn't let me leave and eventually I had no energy to move. I felt useless. I froze like a statue. Before I knew it, I was a victim of an assault. The only thing I could do is cry. Being in a new state, thousands of miles away from New York, having bloody scratches and bruises on my face was something I could never imagine happening to me in a million years. Telling the police what happened and having that vision in my head was one of the hardest parts. As I was telling the police what happened, I could of sworn detective Benson and Stabler would walk into the room. I walked around campus with sunglasses on to cover the bruise and scratches. I felt humiliated and angry at myself. If only I waited to use the bathroom, none of this would of happened. I am grateful for my friends and family that are helping me during this hardship. I should of had my pepper spray with me.
