Page 15 - 2018 HLA Senior Yearbook
P. 15

 O Through my 82 inspirational YouTube videos, I discovered that I have a platform that I can use to impact others in profound ways. I connect with people who are struggling and encourage them to persevere because I too have experienced some intense situations. Being diagnosed with a rare disease, Lymphocytic Colitis, and a myriad of other health diagnoses that have gravely affected my life, has grown in me not just sympathy, but more importantly empathy towards others in need.
V I truly have compassion for people and the trials they face that plague our culture. Through each video that sheds light on some difficult topics, I have brought people together from all over the world by connecting them to an issue in which compassion and hope was needed. My world of influence consists of over 41,000 subscribers and the issues I have tackled include bullying and showing kindness in spite of differences and topics that are more serious and rarely addressed include bulimia, suicide, self-harm, misusing pharmaceutical drugs, relationship break-ups and their effects, death/loss and physical and emotional abuse. I also create videos to encourage my viewers to serve others and to be a hero to someone in need. Then there are fun videos that make people laugh, brighten up their day, and even lift the burden of the load they are carrying.
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My values have been shaped by my community in so many ways. Comments I have received such as “If it wasn’t R for you, I wouldn’t be here” and “Your videos have helped me through a really tough day”, have shown me that helping people overcome some very difficult things and even affecting their life and death decisions has grown
me into a more empathetic human being. Knowing how my one small talent can impact so many for good has helped me to love and accept all people for who they are during the struggles they endure and not to judge them for their differences. An unfortunate amount of people are suffering in silence while their pain is being ignored. My subscribers have shown me that my willingness to address the hard topics that are plaguing the youth in this generation, has created a community in which everyone can feel safe to share their stories and express who they truly are. They have taught me to overcome my fear of rejection and to find value in having the difficult
C conversations, even though they may be uncomfortable.
This cyber community of mine has also shown me that through our discussions of my videos, each one of us is not alone as we face our trials. We are connected even though we may live hundreds of miles apart or even half way around the world. No matter our race, sex, religion, age, or demographics, people everywhere are fighting similar battles. Just knowing we have the support of others, makes the pain a little easier to endure. We live in a community that accepts each person for the uniqueness of who they are, and I value the closeness, love, and support that I have had the privilege of experiencing with my amazing YouTube community.
O Reading the thousands of comments from my viewers and hearing the love and appreciation in what they say to me, has shown me that, in my own small way, I am truly making a difference in other’s lives. I have realized that my illnesses which could have disabled and destroyed me have in fact been a gift that I can use for the betterment of others.
My life began with a sea of unrelenting pain and misdiagnosed illnesses. What should have destroyed me has only
made me stronger. My myriad of diagnoses grew me into an empathetic and loving human being who can M understand pain in ways others cannot. I used these experiences to help others in my over 500 hours of high
school community service and my YouTube channel. Others have shown me that I have made a difference and have created a world where they can feel loved and heard. I believe my life has proven Dr. Seuss to be right, “To the world you may be one person; but to one person, you may be the world.”
I will build upon my YouTube channel experience by fine tuning my skills at a top ranked university in the field of animation. My academic and career goals include attending Lipscomb University or SCAD in Atlanta to pursue a digital 3D Computer Animation degree. My dream is to work for Pixar or Disney to create computer animated films that have an inspirational message. The HLA Overcomer scholarship will provide me the means to afford the tuition at these specialized colleges which will strengthen my passions and enable me to touch the lives of many more souls.
While my life has been shadowed with seven years of constant pain, constant doctor visits, constant tests and needles, and dozens of medications, there has been an outcome that has brought my greatest joy to a life I would not have had any other way. My health has greatly improved due to all our efforts, and I can honestly say I would not be who I am today without this difficult, amazing journey. So, what was intended to destroy me has actually
R made me an extremely strong and resilient person with resolve in everything I do to help others in my community. Now ask me “On a scale of one to ten, how would you rate your pain?”
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“To the world you may be one person; but to one person, you may be the world.” That quote is why my YouTube channel is so important to me. The magnitude one person can have on another person’s life is like the ripple effect on a pond when a rock is tossed into it. If each one of us lived with that awareness, we could all reach one another in love and service by one kind word and one kind act at a time. I agree with Dr. Seuss that one person can make such an impact on another person’s life that the results can ultimately affect the whole world.



















































































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