Gabrielle Union. An actress, an activist, a writer, and of course a strong female.

On November 8th, Union came to the University of Miami to promote her newest book “We’re Going to Need More Wine: Stories that are Funny, Complicated, and True.” Before Union arrived, people were taking their seats, and all you could hear the room was “I aspire to be her”, “I am in love with her”, and “I cannot wait to meet her”. After waiting for several minutes, the gorgeous Gabrielle Union struts to the stage with the biggest smile on her face waving to the crowd of astonished students, and faculty.

Once the Q&A started, all eyes were on Gabrielle Union. The questions were focused on her journey while writing the book, what got her to where she is, and how she has opened up about her sexual assault. As she said, “This book is like a friend […], you can take it to cocktail events with your best friends, to laugh when you are alone, and to cry too”.

One of the lessons I got from her answers was never wait to do what you love. There are going to be people who don’t support you, and there will be people who will want you to give your 100%, but always remember to be happy and appreciate what you have, and do the most with it. Union repeated several times that she hated the fact that she waited 45 years to finally realize what truly makes her happy, and what she loves in her life.

Every time Union said something the audience related to, people would snap, or they say things such as “You right girl” or “YES”. As the event came to an end, I felt like a new person, and nothing could stop me. All the different stories she told made you realize that yes, you will go through rough paths in your life, but those are the moments you grow as a person.

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Naomy Lelis is a freshman from Luanda, Angola. She’s majoring in journalism, a Rick and Morty fanatic, and an avid consumer of documentaries.