If you were on #Twitter today and were wondering why “Marijuana Pepsi” was trending, just know it’s not because the popular soda is getting 4/20 friendly.
A woman by that same, unforgettable name just earned her Ph.D from Wisconsin Cardinal Stritch University in leadership for the advancement of learning and service in higher education, @blackvoices reports. “People make such a big deal out of it, I couldn’t get away from it,” Vandyck told the #MilwaukeeJournalSentinel.
This was after years of Marijuana Pepsi Vandyck trying to prove herself despite her unusual birth name. So, that’s Dr. Marijuana Pepsi to y’all now.
Her dissertation topic, “Black names in white classrooms: Teacher behaviors and student perceptions,” was based on her personal experience as a black student with an uncommon name.
Vandyck interviewed black students at her undergrad alma mater, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, “about the effect of their distinctly Black names on their treatment by teachers and on their academic achievement.”
Those she interviewed told her how teachers would interrupt attendance to ask them about their unique names.
Vandyck told the Sentinel that she once challenged a professor who did that to her at Whitewater, saying the professor “didn’t ask anyone else that. Why are you asking me? My name is Marijuana, thank you.”
Vandyck said she has no desire to change her name and rejects nicknames like Mary.
“I’ve grown into my name because I am a strong woman. I’ve had to be,” Vandyck told the “Today” show.
As her story went viral, social media users definitely had some things to say about it.
“My high school basketball coach told us he once had a student named Marijuana Pepsi Jackson who became super successful & I thought he might be lying, then like 10yrs later a coworker told the same story. Homegirl been an urban legend in my life for like 15 years,” said @alyssawrah.
Others with unusual names commiserated with Vandyck’s struggle and congratulated her on defeating the odds.
SWIPE to see some of the reactions on Twitter.
What are your thoughts on this one, Roommates? Let us know!
TSR STAFF: Christina C! @cdelafresh
