How Bad Do You Want It? (or, the Story Behind My Name Change) Terri Lomax June 24, 2014 The Name Change When I was 7, my mom asked me if I wanted to change my name! I know right? Uhh, what 7 year old wouldn’t want to change their name!? The reason was because her and my biological father had divorced years ago and he didn’t want me to forget about him. My mom had remarried and I was being raised by her and her new husband. My dad’s name is Eric. Can you guess what he wanted to rename me? Yup, Ericka. Ericka with a C and a K. I became Ericka almost immediately, but, my mom, being the strong-willed, traditional woman, that she is, wanted all of her children to have the same last name. So not only did my first name change, but my last name too. I took on her husband’s (who I affectionately called daddy) last name, Williams. My 7-year-old self loved my new name and I embraced it. I never really liked Terrilynn anyway! My mom registered me for school as Ericka Williams and it was official. Illegal? Say What?!?! Let’s fast forward to my junior year in high school. I, Ericka Williams, began simultaneously applying to jobs and colleges. Throughout the job search process, I was surprised to find out that my name was never legally changed! I’m not sure how my mom did it, but my original birth certificate and social security card read Terri Lomax, while my dental records and school records (from 2nd grade to 11th grade) read Ericka Williams!!! I was so lost and confused! I applied to several colleges writing long letters explaining my “name situation.” I sought out lawyers with my grandfathers help but all I got was a bunch of side-eyes. This name situation had me stressed, but even worse it threatened my future. The colleges that did respond to me stated that they needed official name change documents and other stuff that I didn’t have. At the time, my mom was locked up and could only do but so much. That’s when I took matters into my own hands. Desperate times call for… One day after school, I scanned a copy of my high school transcript and changed my name from Ericka Williams to Terri Lomax with an editing program. In my 16 year old mind, this was the only way that I’d be able to get into college; the name on my transcript had to match my legal name. Yes this is illegal and I’m not proud of that. Also, I’m not encouraging anyone to try anything like this. I’m lucky I didn’t get caught! However, the point that I’m trying to make, is that, sometimes in life we have to take matters into our own hands, especially when something is threatening our future. Sometimes we have to think outside of the box and do what’s unconventional to achieve our goals. How bad do you want it? Whatever your it may be! What are you willing to do to reach your goals? What are you willing to sacrifice to become your best self? Share Your Wisdom. Join the Conversation! Have you ever made a less than popular decision to better your future? Do you have any regrets? How do you motivate yourself to think outside of the box when it comes to getting what you want?
