I am an upcoming third-year social work major at The University of Alabama. I grew up in Northern Alabama with a loving family. I grew up very ill; I lost my hair at 13, my ability to eat at 15, and my ability to walk at 19. I was dependent on a feeding tube for three years and, at one point, TPN. I spent most of my high school years in the hospital. Despite this, I graduated high school with a 3.8. I was in remission my first year of college and truly believed this was a new chapter in my life. I was eating again, happy, healthy, and hospital-free.  I loved living on campus. I made friends, slowly started getting involved, and was thriving academically. In November of my first semester of college, I was raped in my dorm room. I moved home and continued my spring semester online. I could no longer sleep in my dorm and needed to be with my family to heal. Around this time, I also had bilateral hip surgery. The surgeon disregarded my diagnosis of a connective tissue disorder called Ehlers-Danlos syndrome; because of this, I am now wheelchair dependent.  When I returned to college in the fall of 2023, I became an ambassador for our Women and Gender Resource Center on campus. I work to educate my peers about interpersonal violence and the resources our campus and local communities have. I turned my rape into my purpose. I received The 2024 Laura Langley Social Justice Student Award for my work at the center this past spring. This award is given to one student selected by the Social Work Association for Cultural Awareness executive board. The board annually awards this honor to a student demonstrating a commitment to social justice and human rights. I also became a Becoming RentABLE ambassador; this is a company that strives to educate on disability needs, primarily in short-term rentals. That said, my Partnership with Arkansas State Parks to assist in the first accessibility certification in a state park's lodging. This partnership not only enabled wheelchair users and other disabled individuals to find accessible housing but also may lead to legislation changes! This organization has given me a small platform on social media where I post content and challenge myself to do things I did not think I could do after losing my ability to walk. This is a beautiful way for me to challenge people's perceptions of disability.