I was invisible. As I walked behind my friends, I listened to them talk about a party that I wasn’t invited to. The sidewalk was not wide enough for me to walk next to them. As I walked behind them, I asked about their weekend, but no one responded. It was as though I didn’t exist. I held myself together, head down, and uncertain of what to do next. Today, I am the head Unity Leader at my school, and I am a Senior Varsity Unity Captain of my cheer team. So, how did I get here? Like most things in life, it took hard work, determination, and perseverance. I’m used to being alone. Growing up, I was always the kid left behind and left feeling unwanted. In middle school, it was especially difficult; I knew I needed a change. I decided that I was not going to have a small group of so-called friends, but I was going to have a friend everywhere. I made a commitment to have a conversation with every single student in each of my classes. In the lunchroom, the students with disabilities sat alone because my classmates were uncomfortable with them. Something stirred in me: I could not allow them to feel isolated. To include them, I sat with them, and invited others to join us. Daily, I brought my peers together and built school inclusion. Upon entering high school, I tried out for the cheerleading team. Initially, I was nervous about being accepted by my teammates. However, I referred back to what I had learned from middle school, and I was positive and outgoing. Cheer became my second family because I pushed myself to get to know each of my teammates. I began to understand how to read social cues, stand in someone else's perspective, and how to address people with respect and kindness. These skills have helped me develop real, authentic relationships. Now I find myself walking into my senior year as a Varsity Cheer Senior Unity Captain, and I'm thrilled to continue using my skills in creating that welcoming, inclusive team environment. My role as a Unity Leader for Chatfield includes collaborating with the school administration, teachers, and coaches to develop a Unity Support Program where all the sports, not just Spirit, attend and support one another. At the start of every sporting season, it is my responsibility to schedule all sports and activities and request that they attend at least one of another sport’s events. For example, Football attends a Marching Band competition, Marching Band attends a Gymnastics meet, etc… It’s a cycle of support for our school, and it also gives other students motivation to attend school events. This creates a school norm to attend and support events and activities. As a result, the entire school spirit is being constantly lifted, we have a more united school, and we have a better commitment to our peers and Chatfield. I went from feeling like “a nobody” to taking on the responsibility and ownership to change the culture of our school. I am no longer invisible, and no one else should be either.