Profile: Malikah Thompson

Malikah Thompson sighed and stared half-interestedly at the ceiling as she attempted to remember the hundreds of things she aspired to be as a child. “Definitely a photographer… a professional singer…” she said, recalling childhood days when anything seemed possible. “Oh, and Savion Glover made me want to be a tap dancer for awhile!”

Thompson’s previous enthusiasm about life has translated to huge dreams as a 16-year-old today. Though she said in a recent interview that her favorite things to do are “sleeping and eating,” her list of life and career goals is just as lengthy as it was ten years ago. She describes her dreams of traveling the world with the U.N. or a major publication with extreme zest; she is fond of foreign languages, especially French, and is ecstatic to see how this interest will benefit her halfway around the globe.

Though she has always held on to big dreams, life has not always been so bright and promising for Thompson. When asked about her childhood in Athens, Stone Mountain, and Virginia, she refused to say much more than, “It was decent. It had issues.” These mysterious statements allude to rocky times that perhaps influenced her current attitude toward people in general. “Real” people are the only ones she can stand – she refuses to put up with liars and stuck-up attitudes and typically surrounds herself with loyal people that maintain goals as magnificent as hers.

In the same fashion, she admires a down-to-earth acceptance that allows her to dress almost primarily for comfort. She adores girly boots and skirts but at the end of the day finds that she is still holding on to the same adoration of relaxed items that she has “worn forever.” Maybe this is why she adamantly insults cold winter months; extra layers simply mean more to fuss over.

Thompson gives off the impression that she could talk about her future forever. She says that she is most inspired when imagining her graduation day-the day the majority of her family failed to reach. Though it is clear that Thompson will indeed one day walk the stage to receive her diploma, the possibilities that will arise after seem endless.