When life takes many us through many wrong turns we either rise above or fall flat on our face. We have to make that decision for ourselves and do the best that we can to make a future worth living. Although I've hit many bumps in the road, I rose above and became something that so many people told be that I would never be.

Let's start at the beginning. When I was younger, I used to have so many people stand behind and support me every step of the way. I loved where I lived and who I was friends with. But as high school started all of that faded. I moved to Virginia to a school that told me, " you can't take Biology because you're not in the right grade or smart enough to do well." With my parents on my side, we fought this statistic and I took that class and passed it on my first attempt.

Being a new school with new people that judged me every time I turned around was extremely hard on me. I became really depressed and developed terrible anxiety. I struggled daily to do something I used to love, going to school. Every morning before I moved to my new school, I would wake up at the same time, get ready, smile, and go learn something new from the people that wanted me to succeed. That wasn't happening now though. So my grades were as good as always but I was quiet, isolated, and getting in fights left and right. I didn't have anyone on my side except members of my church and my mom. I walked through life with the world on my shoulders. Finally the school asked me to finish my freshman year homeschooling to take the pressure of the new environment away for a while. Not happy to sit at home all day on he computer, I developed unhealthy friendships and relationships. I returned to school my sophmore year only to be undermined by the instructors once again. I was doing better but they were not helpful at all. I asked the guidance counselor if there was any way I could graduate early and she told me I wasn't good enough to do so. I told my mom this and she signed me up for classes through a homeschool program to take my junior classes. The school was not happy about this but there was nothing they could do except tell me that they wouldn't except the grades and that I was out of luck. As planned,I took the classes and passed them all. After all of these classes transferred in, the school could not say no and when they tried the school board shot them down. Needlesss to say, it took them 4 months into the school year to update my status. This put a great delay on getting the financial aid needed to go to college I went on the hunt for scholarships and loans but was unsuccessful. I finally contacted the college and was given an additional five thousand dollar scholarship for my work ethic which covered the remainder of the balance needed to cover my freshman year of college.Needless to say, I rose above the doubt of the school and graduated with an advanced diploma, an EMT certification, and national honors society and national technical honors society awards.

When I went to college, I battled yet again with depression and doubt of my abilities. It was hard to be away from home. My mom messaged me daily reminding me of my ability to be anything I wanted to be. I didn't know that I could stay and be happy. However, that all changed, I joined the local rescue squad, Roanoke Emergency Medical Services. It gave me a whole new support system I never knew I needed. While pursuing a degree in emergency services, I was able to seek help when needed. I had a voice in what happened around me again and I got to experience new things. I had a new family. I had support,and enjoyed every moment I had to spend with them. Then I met a family in my sophmore year of college that pretty much adopted me and life got better and better. I had more support than I knew what to do with. There were still some people that told me I couldn't do it and wouldn't make anything of my life but I had my family, second family, rescue family, and friends who constantly pushed me to be better.

Here I am about to start my senior year of college after gaining my national registry paramedic certification. I have a new found love and goal for my life. People push me everyday to be better and to never give up. I walk through life with a smile on my face no matter what people say about me and I know that I am worth something.

The point is that when people tell you that you can/t do something, do it! Do it only if it makes you happy! Prove people wrong when they are! Push yourself to be who and what you want to be. Be a light in your own darkness. Surround yourself with people that actually care. Most of all. pursue your dreams! If it takes forever, do it. If I didn't follow my dreams I'd still be unhappy with myself. We grow as we experience new things. It took realizing that I'm more than a person to know my worth. It took a big change and a big push to succeed. So next time you doubt yourself, look in the mirror and realize what you want to be and where you are. Try, try, and try again until you can walk away with your head held high and know that you did what your heart led you to.

From the bottom of my heart,

Nicole M. Nigro