If I had known then that the things the kids bullied, teased and ostracized me about in middle school would actually be the things that make me a successful and powerful adult, I would have not spent so many days being sad and angry and would have put more energy into my extra-curricular activities.

I learned my lesson over time. I had a teacher who encouraged me to journal about my experiences. She even told me that people like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Oprah Winfrey and even Jesus Christ had bullies and look at the powerful difference they made in life.

I incorporate these lessons now as a mentor. I’ve been a mentor to youth for the past 11 years. I also facilitate anti-bullying and esteem-building workshops for tweens and teens. I work full-time in the communications department of a university and own and operate a social enterprise called Empowered Flower Girl.