Then...
- 11 years old
- Palm Springs, California
Now...
- 34 years old
- Galveston, Texas
- General Surgeon
My Story...
Even though it’s not in the picture, I wore big old lady transition lenses, my teeth were crooked, and I had no sense of style. At the start of the school year, I was in ESL (English as a Second Language) classes. The kids in the class weren’t friendly to me because I was a good student and my English was better than anyone else in the class. Thankfully, the teacher realized I probably didn’t need to be in ESL classes and I was placed in regular classes halfway through the year. I felt really self conscious about speaking up in class because I felt like the kids were going to make fun of my accent or laugh if I pronounced something wrong. I met most of my friends at that age playing sports. Nobody cared on the field if my English was perfect. The girls I met playing soccer became my friends at school. We were all a little awkward but it didn’t matter. The camaraderie we built on the field carried on off the field. The end of this school year is probably where I began to find my self confidence. This helped me make new friends when I moved in 8th grade to another state. I never felt pressured to try to be someone I wasn’t or to change drastically to fit in. I found friends who were like me and appreciated me for who I was.