I am America’s most controversial heroine. My mother is Iranian but is judged as American. She always told her friends she was Persian (to be Persian was better than being Iranian). My biological father was African American. Though I am proud to say I’m mixed now, it hasn’t always worked in my favor. I moved to Iowa from Nevada when I was 6 years old, staying at each school for a year or two, at best. And for many years, my ethnicity was irrelevant; I was oblivious to how significant it could be. It wasn’t until I settled in a district from 4th grade and on, that I grew more cognizant. Revealing moments, over the years I would begin to understand other people’s perceptions. A girl in my class argued with me over the pronunciation of Iran, a boy calling all Muslims terrorists, even a teacher, commenting that the Black student probably broke his foot committing thievery. The little microaggressions hurt more than I could verbalize as a child, and I ached to be the picture-perfect, blond-haired, blue-eyed dream that surrounded me. Today, I look back at those moments and watch my younger self overcompensate in every way possible. I couldn’t phrase that I felt inferior to the White students, but if I received anything less than an “A” in every class, I thought I was an imposter. Nevertheless, I kept going. I educated and empowered myself, supported by a small community that celebrated diversity. I became a leader in multiple ways throughout our district, combatting ignorance and educating others to do the same. Discovering the Community of Racial Equity was a pivotal moment in my life. This group actively sought opportunities to educate and empower students, learn and embrace other cultures, and demand change where it was needed most. As a multi-racial student, I found the community I unknowingly ached for. Shortly after joining, I became one of four student facilitators for the organization. During one summer, we pieced together a guide for every district staff member to use: the PAAP, or the Preventing and Acting Against Prejudice Guide. With this new tool, I crafted lesson plans and presented them to teachers before the school year began. The goal of getting involved in teacher professional developments was to aid in creating and maintaining a prejudice-free environment. I wanted students to feel more supported by educators and administrators; this became the first of many challenges CORE took on. During my senior year, I became involved in activism in more significant ways. The focus of my attention was book bans, which are spreading rapidly across Iowa. My organizing received national media attention, prompting the major book publisher, Penguin Random House, to contact me. They asked if I would consider joining a constitutional challenge to Iowa Senate File 496, which bans any books that have alleged “sexual” content in grades K-12. Initially, I was reluctant to take the bold step against my state government. But I realized that now, more than ever, I needed to represent the voice of my peers. So I joined the lawsuit, currently serving as the only student plaintiff. I am joined by outstanding, award-winning authors whose books have personally touched me, and have embraced the opportunity to give my perspective to benefit the legal strategy. Today, I've been accepted to USC, and am in a race against time to fund my first year to be able to attend. After I pursue my undergraduate education, I plan on attending law school to become a civil rights and First Amendment attorney, making continual change in the country.