Consider for a moment if your parents named you something unusual like Banana-Skin Soap-Dispenser… how would you react?
We inexplicably have a soap dispenser at our desks. After pressing it, hand sanitizer squirted out, likely a holdover from the coronavirus era.
This scenario is similar to what Dr. Marijuana Pepsi Vandyck experienced.
Her mother decided to name her ‘Marijuana Pepsi,’ intending for her daughter to stand out in the world. Although the 52-year-old has endured bullying throughout her life, the name carries a deeper significance.
Her mother, Brandy ‘Maggie’ Johnson, believed the unique name would empower her daughter, making her a formidable presence as the only person with that name.
In many ways, this prediction came true; she is known by thousands worldwide.
However, she has encountered various forms of discrimination.
Interestingly, Vandyck neither uses marijuana nor drinks Pepsi, preferring to avoid fizzy beverages altogether.
Her distinctive name posed challenges in her pursuit of a career in education, despite earning a doctorate in Higher Educational Leadership.
Vandyck, residing near Live Oak, Florida, described how her name led to numerous job rejections, with some even suggesting she shouldn’t work in education due to it.
Ultimately, she defied those who doubted her and now holds a prominent position at Community College of Baltimore County.
On the topic of being asked to use names like ‘Mary,’ she stated: “I won’t answer to a different name to appease someone who is clearly in their head about what they think it means to call me my own name.
“It’s a problem, but it’s not my problem.”
Discussing the discrimination she faced, Vandyck remarked: “Classmates and even teachers would whisper and come up to me asking if it was my real name.
“I would overhear people speculating if my mother was a ‘crackhead’ – I still have people say that to this day.
“When people find out my name, they ask my nickname instead. I tell them if calling me Marijuana isn’t comfortable, they can call me Dr Vandyck.”
As the founder of Action as Empowerment Center for Change, she continued: “I always knew I would get a PhD as I’ve dedicated my life to education – and I thought if people would be calling me Marijuana Pepsi, I’ll be Dr Marijuana Pepsi.
“It’s my superpower because I don’t have to live within the expectations of others – people think things about me based on my name but I define success on my own terms.”
It seems her mother’s foresight was accurate, as Marijuana Pepsi Vandyck has indeed become a significant presence in the world.