My name is Jericho Samson. I'm a tall, somewhat chubby but good-looking black man living in the town of Randolph, Massachusetts. Lately, I've been having a strange time, folks. The life of a black man in modern America is never easy but I think it's even harder when you're bisexual. I feel rejected by the world both because of my race and my sexual orientation. It sucks to be different sometimes. However, rather than to roll over, I decided to stand up for myself. I'm the only openly bisexual male at Randolph State College.
When I first came to Randolph, it seemed like a nice, quiet little town. I didn't think I would find this much trouble in such a small place. I'm originally from Atlanta and that's a world-class city full of wonders but also packed with troubles. Oh, well. I've always been a fighter. I attended Atlanta Regional High School and graduated last year with a 3.98 GPA. That's what won me an academic scholarship to Randolph State College. I'm a hard worker. Always have been. I come from a family of hard workers, you know. It's in my DNA to make the best of myself wherever I happen to be.
I get my strong work ethic from my family. My father, Kyle Samson is a physical therapist at Atlanta City Hospital. My mother, Jennifer Crenshaw Samson is a firefighter. My older sister Michelle is an engineering student at Georgia Tech. My brother Jones is a criminal justice student at Morehouse College. We live in West Atlanta. Life was alright. My folks wanted me to attend college in Georgia but I had to get out of town. See the world, you know? So, I did some traveling and visited places like New York, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Jersey and Texas before finally settling in Massachusetts. I thought Randolph State College would be a new beginning. I knew I had to expect some challenges. I just didn't think I'd face that much opposition.
Randolph State College is a four-year public school located in Randolph, Massachusetts. It's part of the state's public higher education system, along with the various UMass campuses and a couple other state schools. Randolph State College has an approximately eleven-thousand-person student body, and it's blessedly evenly split between the sexes. It was founded in 1977 by a Massachusetts-based philanthropic organization. Thirty years later, it was considered one of the best public colleges in the state, if not the country. A top notch school where some of the wealthiest men and women in the state sent their brats to be educated.
Randolph State College offers associate's, bachelors and even master's degrees in more than sixty fields. The school is widely known more for its athletic excellence, however. Randolph State College currently sponsors Men's Varsity Baseball, Basketball, Cross Country, Swimming, Volleyball, Golf, Gymnastics, Rowing, Rugby, Bowling, Rifle, Lacrosse, Ice Hockey, Football, Soccer and Wrestling along with Women's Varsity Softball, Basketball, Cross Country, Swimming, Volleyball, Golf, Rugby, Gymnastics, Bowling, Rowing, Fencing, Lacrosse, Ice Hockey, Soccer, Field Hockey, Wrestling and Equestrian. They compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association's Division One.
Randolph State College has been touted by administrators and students alike as an athletic powerhouse. It certainly lives up to its name. The school has won national championships in men's and women's soccer, men's and women's cross country, men's and women's basketball, football, men's baseball, women's softball, men's wrestling and women's volleyball. It's the first college in New England to field a women's wrestling program. The school mascot is the Cobra. The sports teams are known as the Cobras and Lady Cobras. Randolph State College has a staunch rivalry with local athletic powerhouses such as Boston College and UMass-Amherst.