Over 100 Ball State University students discussed the hurdles thatwomen need to jump in different areas of their lives at the Women 2Women Conference.
Kemba Pradia-Smith, the keynote speaker, used this theme to discuss her story.
"What will you jump hurdles for?" Smith said in the beginning of herspeech. "I was jumping hurdles for everyone else but you need to jump hurdles for yourself."
While in college, Smith got involved with a man at school who was a drug dealer.
"I thought if I stay with him, I can change him to lead a legal lifestyle," she said. "The first time he put his hands on me, I thought he was going to kill me."
Smith talked of how their relationship evolved into a physically and emotionally abusive one.
"Whatever he told me he wanted me to do, I did," she said. "The federal government wanted me to corporate but I said everything Peter (drug dealer) wanted me to."
Later she became pregnant and a month later, Peter was murdered.
Smith was charged with conspiracy, money laundering and false statements to a federal agent. This landed her a 24.5 years sentence. She served 6.5 years in federal prison until President Bill Clinton granted her clemency in 2000.
"No matter what your past is, you're here today," she said. "Hold your head up high."
Freshmen health science major Tiffany Tyler enjoyed Smith's speech.
"I thought it was really good to hear her story," she said. "It's an inspiration to try your hardest to work for your own future."
Smith left the audience with advice for their own lives.
"Anything you want is going to take hard work and perseverance," she said.
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