Joe Yates
Just imagine for a second that your parents called you something bizarre like Banana-Skin Soap-Dispenser... what would you do?
I don't know why we have a soap dispenser at our desks here at UNILAD HQ... but we have, and I've now pressed it and hand sanitizer has fired out, so I imagine it's from the coronavirus days.
Anyway, that's exactly what happened to Dr Marijuana Pepsi Vandyck.
Advert
Yes, her mom thought it would be a good idea to name her 'Marijuana Pepsi' - and while the 52-year-old has suffered at the hands of bullies all her life, there is an empowering reason behind the name.
Her late mom Brandy ‘Maggie’ Johnson thought the name would make her powerful 'force in the world' - being the only person ever to bear the name, making her truly one of a kind.
And you could argue that it worked; thousands of people know of her across the globe - over in the UK and beyond.
But she has faced her fair share of discrimination.
I should add that Vandyck doesn't even indulge in either marijuana or Pepsi - she isn't a fan of fizzy drinks.
Her odd name has made it hard for her to pursue a job in education - that is despite the fact she gained a doctorate in Higher Educational Leadership.
Vandyck, who lives close to Live Oak, Florida, explained how she had numerous job applications turned down - and people even told her that with her name she shouldn't be allowed to work in education.
She eventually went on to prove all the doubters wrong as she now carries out a leading role at Community College of Baltimore County.
Speaking about people asking to call her name's like 'Mary' instead of Marijuana, she said: “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.”
While talking about the discrimination she suffered, Vandyck added: "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."
The founder of Action as Empowerment Center for Change 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.”
I think you could say Marijuana Pepsi Vandyck's mom was right, she has become a 'force in the world'.