Then...
- 11 years old
- Napa, California
Now...
- 32 years old
- Temecula, California
- Event Professional in the Hospitality Industry
My Story...
I wanted to submit my photo because it’s a sensitive issue for me. I was made fun of, and bullied in elementary school and by the kids in my neighborhood. Everything from being told I would “never be pretty”, “no one will love you”, and throwing food at my face. So I buried myself in my studies and kept up my grades and focused on the future, hoping one day, I would be “pretty” – by whatever standard that was. I didn’t show that it hurt, but it really changes a person. It certainly did help to shape me into who I am today – someone who can teach other kids what not to do – because you know how it feels. There’s the beauty.