My friend told me I should watch this show from the late eighties on Netflix. It was actually a spin-off "The Cosby Show," where Denise Huxtable goes off to college at Hillman.

At first, I was hesitant and I didn't even have a legitimate reason why, but about a week later, I went to the site, searched "A Different World" into the search bar and clicked play. There was something off-putting about the dynamics on the show that season, but it was enough to make me stop watching it for two weeks. I was ready to give up on it, but I told myself to give it another chance. That was probably the best thing I've ever done.

It was in the second season that I found her. She unpacked her bags, full of life and aspirations and taped her "Anatomy of A Man" poster man over her bed. She was certain of her goals to be a doctor the day she got to Hillman, and she wanted to do everything in her power to make sure she was on the right path at all times. During the first episode of season two, I saw me for the first time, and her name was Kimberly Reese.

I was in awe of her caring and confident nature and how goal oriented she was. Reese knew what she wanted and she knew the steps she needed to take to get it. I knew exactly when I saw her that she would play a big part in who I wanted to be. She was the friend everyone wanted, and the student we all aspire to be.

At one point in the show, she was obsessing over a new planner she bought. She planned everything down to the minute (brushing teeth — two minutes) and if you wanted to have a conversation with her, it would actually have to be scheduled. She ended up stretching herself way too thin because she lost sight of how much she could handle.

I often get overwhelmed thinking about everything I have to do and everything I want to do. Knowing what is in store for me in the future, I am quite scared I might not be able to handle it. However, Kimberly taught me to be open to trying things. Without that, I won't ever know what I can or can't handle.

There was also a moment where she has to open up a cadaver in lab. She prepared herself at every waking moment, watching videos, reading articles, and taking notes. You could say she over-prepared, but she would think she didn't prepare enough. Lab day arrives, and at the sight of her cadaver, she fainted. I was laughing at the thought of how relatable that moment would be when something like that happens to me.

I found I love the brain and all of its glory. I find myself intrigued by neurosurgery videos and brain diagrams, but what happens when I actually have to touch a real-life brain? Will I get scared or will I be as intrigued as I am with those videos?

I think about how adamant I am about Pediatric Neurology and how having thoughts like those would make me seem like I am not ready for what is ahead of me. But when I watch her, she is very open about her feelings and her fears. She doesn't let them hold her back and she goes back and dissects the cadaver perfectly.

Kimberly was in the gospel choir, various dance performances, a band for a couple of months, the swim team, she worked at The Pit, which was a nice dining place on campus, but still made time for hanging out and acting classes. Yes, she may have been a character on one of my favorite shows, but that is where the importance of black women in television and entertainment comes from.

For the first time, I saw an intelligent, aware, sociable, driven black woman. I watched as this teenager from Ohio gave me the confidence to embrace everything that life has to offer. When you see someone that looks like you on a television screen, thriving in a role you can see yourself playing, you begin to realize how much potential you actually have.

So, here's to you Kimberly Reese.