Spirit of Greatness

Verina Banks was born on January 31, 1984 in Newark, NJ. She is originally from East Orange, NJ and lived there until she was eight and then moved to South Orange, NJ and have been there ever since. Verina has two brothers where one is nine years older than her and the other is three years younger. She also has a sister who is five years younger than her. Verina grew up with both parents residing in the household whom have recently separated within the last three years due to marital issues. She then attended Catholic school until she was in the second grade right before she moved to South Orange where she pursued the town’s local schools. The school system ranged from elementary school, junior high, and high school. Shortly, thereafter, Verina involved herself with ballet and danced for thirteen years which led her to applying to various art schools for extra curricular activity throughout her childhood. As well as, being talented and beautiful she displayed a focus that playing the violin, cello, and piano could not share. It was her admirable will to learn Italian and speak Spanish that separated her from the individual and the intellectual that she is. In addition to, having the ability to uphold a 3.5 grade point average by junior high while taking on all honor classes Verina had never seemed to fail at expressing her means of obtaining quality education. “I was a very good student until my grandmother passed away when I was 16”, which took place in her junior year of high school, Verina continues to explain, “She was the closest person to me. Because of my depression my grades dropped, I started cutting class, and stopped hanging out with my friends. I stayed in my room everyday for hours and wouldn’t come out to eat. All of my teachers at the time passed me with at least a "B" because of the type of student I was in the past. It took me awhile to get out of that slump; in fact, I think it still affects me now”, as she openly admits. While she continues to examine the overwhelming grief she draws on how the experience have left her a lot colder and displaced when it comes to certain situations, in that of, having relationships that do not transpire in the way they should when it comes across to meeting new people. Incriminating her detachment did not influence her to learn imminence, but she would have come to practice it in a later on breakthrough after graduating high school in 2002.
Initially, Verina attended Hampton University in Virginia, but soon left after a semester because she didn’t like it. She felt the pace was too slow. However, the most exciting thing they had going on there was the bowling alley, and being from Jersey she was accustomed to the hustle and the bustle of the city. After a semester Verina returned to Jersey and attended a community college for the following spring semester. The following fall of 03 she attended Clark Atlanta. She was there for a year and a half and came across a bad financial situation and had to return home once again for a semester. She later returned to Clark the following fall and has been trying to finish there every since. Her current major is Public Relations, which she really enjoys. It started out as marketing, but time revealed that communications is where her heart was. She plans to graduate this up coming May. Presently along with six classes at Clark, she includes her internship with SoSo Def and employment at Copeland’s Cheesecake Bistro held within Atlantic Station. Verina adds by saying, how deeply she takes pleasure in both succeeding and completing her matriculation through the end of the school year. Once finished with school she wants to get into the entertainment industry. Overall, Verina truly enjoys Atlanta and if God allows she will remain here if she is able to obtain a job here. As far as her social status is concerned Verina is currently single and have had a boy friend for majority of the time she was at Clark, but due to undisclosed circumstances they are no longer together. Despite her availability she is not looking to be with anyone right now; for the fact, that she has too much on her plate and does not have the time for another obligation. Nevertheless, when it comes to downtime Verina opens herself up to many endeavors in that of her fixation for traveling, which normally consist of going on at least two trips a year with her friends.