tina goldstein

Tina Philips has always lived in the shadow of other people’s decisions. From childhood, her parents chose her clothes, her hobbies, and even her future. Bullied from Primary 5 all the way through secondary school, Tina learned to keep her head down, until a quiet, dusty parade ground at NYSC camp became her first real awakening. This is where she begins to look back, not for a single “aha” moment, but for every quiet step that led her to this moment. From a controlled childhood, where even her favorite color was chosen for her, to the pressure-cooker years of secondary school, Tina’s life is a series of silent compromises. Even when she chooses Mechanical Engineering at Hawthorne Heights University, it’s a decision shaped by others, until it isn’t. At university, Tina tries on new versions of herself: dancer, entrepreneur, content creator, while struggling with ADHD, failed businesses, and flings that never fill the emptiness. She holds tight to friendships; Yemisi, her steady anchor; Jasmine, her fearless partner in dance; Chloe, her brilliant artistic friend; Eugenia, her chaotic roommate; and Dabira, the friend she eventually cuts off, only to later reconcile. As Tina navigates final year, a NUESA board position, and NYSC, she begins to see that identity isn’t something given, it’s something built, brick by brick, through failure, friendship, faith, and hope. Unraveling Tina is a raw, relatable coming-of-age story of a young Nigerian woman who dares to take ownership of her life, one small choice at a time.