User:RashikaSerenity/sandbox

Rashika Nicole Serenity (October 7, 1974 - Present) is a visual artist, who specializes in creating vibrant oil paintings. Her work can be viewed at www.SerenityArt.gallery, and she also has a gallery location in Wilmington, Delaware.

Early Life
Rashika's name at birth was Tuba Charmaine Boyd. She was born in Hackensack, New Jersey. Her biological Mother's name was Marcia Beverly Boyd. At an early age, Tuba was placed in a foster home in Teaneck, New Jersey. Her mother suffered from Schizophrenia, and is said to have voluntarily signed away her custodial rights, in hopes of allowing Tuba to have a better chance at life with a less dysfunctional family. Tuba was later adopted by a family that she describes to be "a dysfunctional bunch of demons". Her original name was changed, against her will, to Rashika Nicole Small. Her original birth certificate was also altered and/or permanently concealed by the Bergen County Division of Child Protection and Permanency, erasing her original identity, and naming two unrelated people as her biological parents. Her biological father's identity is unknown.

Finding Herself
Rashika completed a 23andMe gene analysis. The genetic testing revealed that Rashika shares ancient paternal lineage with Usermaatra Ramesses III, who was a prominent Pharaoh of the Twentieth Dynasty in Ancient Egypt from 1186-1155 BC. At the age of 18 years old, Rashika conducted a search for her biological family. She found her biological Mother, Marcia Boyd, at the age of 19 years old. Despite her Mother's passing, Rashika has maintained relationships with her Mother's siblings and their offspring ever since. No legal documentation exists regarding this ordeal, however, Rashika's Mother's biological Nephew, who also completed the 23andMe genetic analysis, is listed as Rashika's first Cousin, with 14.6% shared DNA. Although Rashika was immensely grateful for having had the opportunity to reconnect with her family, and she was also grateful for having been saved from any unknown misfortune which my have befallen her, had her mother not relinquished her parental rights, Rashika hated being associated with the family that had adopted her. She later discovered that they only adopted her to continue receiving financial support from the State. Rashika has always maintained that she is very unsettled by the fact that the legal process of adoption permanently severs children from any connection with their biological families, and the process is done before children reach the legal age of consent. She grew up hating the last name "Small". She also hated being associated with a family that severely poisoned her Spirit from the time of her earliest memories, so she Petitioned the Court, and changed her name to Rashika Nicole Serenity. She chose the name "Serenity", instead of "Boyd", because, in ancient times, people often changed their names after having experienced a profound change in circumstances. In Ancient Egypt, names had a powerful influence over One's personality as well as One's future endeavors, ergo she chose the name Rashika N. Serenity.