Cocoa | Wake County 100

Narrative, Continued:

Cocoa loves helping her community by donating old books and volunteering for activities. And as a public bus driver, she helps the community by providing public transportation. Cocoa strives to make a difference in her community, and wishes to someday explore the world herself.

Cocoa loves Wake County for its many parks and public environmental spaces; her favorite is Pullen Park. She also likes the position of the downtown area. Cocoa would like it if Wake County could harness illegal dealings and deal with crime more, so that we don’t have to worry about the prison system. She would also like it if there would be more opportunities for the youth—with more activities, fairs, and good education. Overall, Cocoa loves where she lives, and she wants to help make a difference and make the world a better place to live.

Note: Although Cocoa was born overseas, the U.S. Census considers Cocoa a U.S. citizen as her parents are U.S. citizens – thus she carries a U.S. passport.

Written by: Eleanor

Cocoa

Gender: Female

Age: 25-64

Race: African

Nativity: Born in US but not in NC

Educational Attainment: Some College

Occupation: CAT Bus Driver

Travel Time to Work: 15 minutes

Internet Access in Home: No

Religion: Spiritual but not religious

City: Raleigh

Narrative:

As an African woman from Monrovia, Liberia, Cocoa has made a very spiritual and cultural impact on Wake County. For the three years that she has lived here, she has worked as a Corrections Officer and CAT Bus Driver, but she spends most of her free time reading books and learning more about the world around her. Her ultimate goal in life is to travel the world, not as a true profession, but just to see beautiful landscapes.

As a part of her African background, Cocoa has many traditions and cultural activities that she has been doing since she was a child. For example, she loves to turn her jet-black hair into a beautiful work of art, braiding every strand until it is complete. She also knows many traditional African recipes—for example, mother-daughter cakes. Cocoa also loves African dancing and music, because she thinks of it as inspirational and touching. She also received her religion from her family and her background. Cocoa, although not officially grouped into a religion, has a very close relationship with God. Occasionally, she goes to a church in Arapahoe, NC, built by her own grandfather. Cocoa loves to visit it, because of all the touching memories it holds.

Cocoa spent two years in college, studying hospitality management and computer science. Currently she works as a bus driver, and she has been for the last two years. Her home is a 15-minute walk away from the bus station, but if she wants to, she can take a short bus ride to and from. Cocoa cares about nutrition, and mainly eats healthy fruit and vegetables and seafood, but sometimes she will treat herself with something from Goodberry’s.

The Doon School