Adversity is something that everyone will face in life, I face adversity every day, but what I face is something only few people in our school face. Growing up in a small Midwestern town being a person of color makes you instantly stand out. When I was in elementary school, my peers and I did not recognize me as different, so we played together as children do. Once we went to junior high, this is when I really started to recognize that I was different and everyone else did too.

In early middle school, I was teased, called names, and was just told that people didn't like the way I looked. I was so embarrassed to be black that I never wanted to talk about it to anyone. This really took a toll on my self-confidence so I tried to keep my group of friends minimal because I knew they wouldn't hurt or tease me for what and who I am. Going to church was even something I was timid about. The children in our youth group would always ask me, "Why are you brown?" It was always a touchy subject when I was a child. I never wanted anyone to point it out or even slightly mention it. After we left middle school and began high school, I started to comprehend that Yes, I am different but that's what makes me special.

High school is when I fully started to accept my color identity. I finally began to be comfortable talking about being black and being comfortable with who I am. This past March I had the confidence to compete in the Miss Dallas County pageant because I wanted to show the young, black girls in our school district. I ended up winning and I'm using my reign to empower young girls under me and to show them that being different and unique is a good thing and that everyone should strive to be themselves. I believe that I overcome this adversity every day and I strive to show people that I love who I am!

Another type of adversity that I face is with family finances. I live in a single parent home with me and my sister so our financial situation is not great. My sister and I are both qualified for free and reduced lunches because my mom is self-employed as a cosmetologist and struggles to pay her bills every month. I have bills that I have to pay on my own. I had to get a job to pay my bills around the year because the finances weren't there for my mom to help me pay those. The last few months, she has really been stressing out about college and the bill that it adds on to her. I want to continue to strive and be the best person I can be in school to become successful enough to support myself and my family who's done so much for me.