A woman born Marijuana Pepsi Vandyck said she has no plans to ever change her name, despite not being a fan of the soda nor ever having smoked weed, SWNS Media Group reports via the New York Post.
Vandyck, 52, of Live Oak, Florida, said her mother named her with the belief that it would “take her around the world” due to its originality, though she said others falsely assumed her mom took drugs or was in prison.
Marijuana has, however, lived a successful life, earning a PhD in Higher Education Leadership, serving as founder and executive director of Action as Empowerment Center for Change and working at Community College of Baltimore County.
“I would overhear people speculating if my mother was a ‘crackhead’ – I still have people say that to this day,” Vandyck said. “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.
“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.”
Vandyck has said numerous times that she has no intention of changing her name, which she calls her “superpower.”
“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,” Vandyck said.
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