When your family includes names like Faith and Favor, having the name Precious doesn’t necessarily make you stand out but for people unfamiliar with those positive names, there can sometimes be a backlash. Some of the comments that Precious Ndama hears are “mean, but most of the time [they are] nice,” she said.

The third sister in the family, Ndama said that her parents just decided to give her the charming name. Her sisters Faith and Annie have also gone to Armijo. If she could choose her own name, though, something different from Precious, Ndama said that she would consider being called Ayisha.

While she is only a freshman, Ndama has her life mapped out. After graduating in 2021, she intends to attend Pacific McGeorge School of Law in Sacramento. Those days will be here before she knows it.