When I was a little girl, my mom and dad told me I could be whatever I wanted to be. As the years went on, and the older I got, I was told I couldn't do it. We were always told to follow our heart and reach for the stars but sometimes the people around me told me I couldn't.

As early as second grade, I was diagnosed with a learning disability that affected and shaped who I am today. When I used to sit in class in the back of the room, there would always be a little voice in my head saying you can do it, but my peers were the ones who made me doubt myself.

Tears are the only thing I remember when I was 7 years old. As I read weekly books to my mom, I remember how upset I would get by the end of the chapter because I couldn't remember a thing I just said out loud. When I was even in class, I will never forget in the second grade about how my teacher told me I was ' not smart enough' because I was assigned to the lowest reading level in the class. I can remember struggling to keep up with my classmates as early as second grade.

In elementary school, I could immediately tell (from body language or tone of voice) when someone made a joke about my learning disability, but it could take me hours, even days to understand the meaning behind their hurtful words.

As the years went on, in middle school my classmates and I were sorted into reading levels based on the letters of the alphabet—A for the least and Z for the most advanced.The annual reading challenges were meant to “improve our reading comprehension skills.” Their impact on my education, however, was much more profound.

Reading comprehension was never my forte—

As a disabled student myself, I know firsthand what it feels like to be overwhelmed by frustration. Yet I also know that one person with the expertise to intervene can make a tremendous difference in an entire school district.

When it became my senior year of high school, I could not be more excited than to be looking at colleges and what the next 4 years could be...

Getting into college was something I envisioned for a long time. I always imagine myself at a big school with the big football team and a large friend group.

Although little did I know, at 7:45 pm on December 15, 2015, I got into a car accident in my town. I will never forget the extreme pain I suffered from December through May.

By this point in my life, I had no motivation to do anything, to talk to anyone or to apply to colleges anymore. I thought my life was over because I had dropped two classes and didn’t know where I was going to school anymore.

When applying to colleges after my accident happened, I always thought that my teachers would be the ones supporting me and helping me guide my way to college by boosting my confidence. Little did I know, they kept bringing me down by saying, "You can't get in there. That school is too hard for you, that is not the right school for you".

Eventually, it wasn't my test scores that got me into college. It was my family friend Liz, who pushed me to go for an interview with the school I had the least bit interested in.

Don't let people call you stupid, or dumb in any way. Be the stronger person. They have no idea what a child with a disability goes through each and every day.

Don't let people define you. I've come so far and have been through so much. We all have our own battles we have faced.

Go after your dream just like I am going after mine.

No matter how small or big it is, prove everyone wrong. I promise you it'll feel even better knowing that you did.

If it wasn't for my mother, I don't think I would have the confidence that I do now. She always told me to keep pushing myself and not to listen to the negative comments of what other's had to say about me.

And to those who say I won't make it big time, watch me. I didn't come this far for nothing...