Feb. 23, 2016
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFKnights.com) -- On an early Friday morning in November 2013, Makeda Elliott walked her route to the bus stop as she had every day since transferring in to Hallandale High School for her senior year.
At the same time, David Barton, 17, was hiding behind a fence 15 feet away with a gun in his hand. According to police and news reports, he attempted to shoot at a boy who was walking toward the bus stop.
Elliott was walking in front of the attempted target when she heard four shots go off.
"I didn't know what shots sound like. I thought it was just fireworks," she said. "As soon as I looked around, I felt something hot hit my neck."
She asked those around her to inspect her neck. When they told her they saw a bullet, she understandably "freaked out."
She asked a friend to call her father, who jumped out of bed and didn't bother wasting time throwing on a T shirt before picking her up to drive her to the hospital.
Fortunately, she or anyone else at the scene wasn't seriously injured.
The only physical evidence now is a small scar on her left side where her neck meets her jaw.
She returned to school the following Tuesday, although she didn't take the bus that day or any day after. Two years have passed since the incident, and the sound of fireworks frightens her now.
The fear stops there. Instead of cowering from life, she has adopted a more seize-the-day attitude.
"After the shooting it opened my eyes to taking chances and making the most out of every opportunity," she said.
Which is what brought her to UCF.
In addition to her daily demands as a jumper for the track and field team, Elliott has her sights set on pursuing a career in mechanical engineering. An interdisciplinary studies major with a focus in engineering, she has her first car -- a red Mitsubishi Galant named "Ruby" -- to thank for her motivation.
"I have to fix my timing belt. I change my own tires," she said. "My uncle is a mechanical engineer who works for Mercedes. He thinks I can do anything."
Her uncle encourages her to watch YouTube videos to fix her own problems. Or if that fails, he tells her what tools to pick up and coaches her through it.
She wants to dive into a career focused on robotics. Last semester her class built a robot. This year they are going to build a boat.
"When you go in that engineering building and you see all these projects going on, it's cool. I don't want to be at a desk. It's not me," she said. "There's so much opportunity and it's so different and diverse here. I love it."
Story by Jenna Marina