My story began in the dirt, which seemed to be covered in darkness. I was born into slavery in Missouri. Growing up, I was not raised by my parents but raised by Moses and Susan Carver, who owned my parents. 

When the civil war ended and slavery came to an end I found myself coming to light. However, I still felt  limited of my abilities. I aspired knowledge but people still did not accept my kind. 

As a child I spent most of my day's exploring nature and the plants at the Carver's house. My neighbor's often referred to me as the plant doctor.

In search of an education, I planted my seed. I left the plantation at just 10 years old. I had to travel several miles to get to school because there were not many black schools.

Furthering my education, I managed to obtain a high school education in my late twenties. While pursing a higher education, I developed a keen interest in plants and animals. 

I continued to nurture my seed and went on to attend college. I got accepted to Highland college in Kansas but I was turned away because of my race. I felt like I  was a seed, still buried in the dirt struggling to see the light.

However, just like a plant, in order to grow I needed to endure these stages. I enrolled at Simpson college in Iowa and was the only black student out of 300. Being the only back student, I was welcomed and even encouraged to achieve more. 

My art teacher suggested I transfer to Iowa state agricultural college. I was able to experience what unlimited opportunities felt like and received my bachelors degree in science from Iowa state in 1894.

I continued to grow and went on to earn my masters degree in 1896. Soon after, Booker T. Washington, who was a respected educator of the Tuskegee institute offered me a position.

It was then, that I decided on my purpose. My calling was to help a former slave population become self sufficient through farming.