Jay, a 4-year-old at the pre-school where I intern, was wailing in the “quiet corner” alone. Tiptoeing to the corner, I asked Jay what happened. Gasping for air through the tears, he mumbled his words. I whispered, “Talk in your big boy voice.” He said, “I am sad because I don’t know how to listen to the teacher.” Realizing that 4-year-olds can put their feelings into words if given the opportunity and that punishment without a conversation leaves kids confused and scared, I responded, “You can listen! You are listening to me right now.” We ended the conversation with a hug to remind him that like all children, his actions and words are valued. This conversation resonated with me because this is something I went through as a young girl with a high emotional intelligence. I always experienced my feelings deeply. I can remember countless meltdowns in the years following my diagnosis of celiac disease at the age of 4. “I want to grow N-O-W!” was the only thing my 4-year-old self cared about. I was smaller than the smallest 3-year-old at my school because of celiac. Between my size and food restrictions, I felt different and despondent. Even as a young child, I was extremely careful to avoid gluten, but even after years of scary endoscopies, tests showed I was eating gluten. That is, until a world-renowned doctor uncovered that I had a rare case that was unresponsive to a gluten free diet. My subsequent treatment plan was a severely restrictive diet with zero processed foods, requiring my mom to make my food from the garden. Even though I excelled at school, played travel soccer, and enjoyed sleepovers (always having to bring my own food) my sadness and anxiety became unmanageable until 2020 when I developed anorexia. People do not notice how much food plays a role in one’s life until they are deprived of it. I became addicted to being as small as I could, as I found something I could finally control. I had taken out my years of worry and anger on myself. In 2020, I was admitted to the Renfrew Eating Disorder Residence where I met Alaina, my therapist, who saved my life through our hard work together. For friends, I relied on those I met in treatment and on the safety of family. My recovery process began… However, my struggle with the eating disorder led me to feelings I never felt before. At 15, after a peer posted, “You are ugly,” I was rushed to the hospital after I overdosed. The depression became intolerable. My life felt ruined living with a dark cloud over my head. I remember shaking uncontrollably as the doctors prodded at every vein to insert the IV. This type of fear I had never dreamed of; all I could think about was “I don’t want to die.” Coming this close to death was my most significant awakening. I have learned that life is precious, not guaranteed. I became passionate about sharing my story and inspiring others so that they, too, can reach recovery. Alaina has supported me no matter how difficult my situation became, reminding me repeatedly - You Got This. Our hard work together since 2020, her support, patience, and my perseverance, has brought me so much closer to achieving inner freedom. Family therapy taught me how to understand struggles from their perspectives as well as how to have genuine drama free relationships. I have come to value having one true friend over having many surface friends. I am excited for college. My career aspirations are to pursue my passion for social entrepreneurship in fashion. As a child, I would cut up shirts to make my own outfits. I rarely found clothing that matched my style, so I took matters into my own hands. VogueVilla LLC (https://voguevilla.net/) was born out of my wish to share my selections with other teens and inspire teens to feel confident in their own skin and to thrive with their uniqueness. In 2023, I was selected to participate in Young Entrepreneurs Academy (https://yeausa.org/) where we learn how to run a business. I recently pitched my plan to investors and received $1,500 for startup costs. Rooted in my personal struggle with eating disorders, Voguevilla is dedicated to fostering a culture of inclusivity and body positivity. Our mantra, "Your body is your home," embodies my belief that true beauty radiates from within and that embracing one's own body is essential for overall well-being. Once Voguevilla starts earning a profit, I will donate a portion of sales to the National Eating Disorder Association. Over 30% of individuals with eating disorders do not obtain the help they need so over the long term these funds will be used to help others fund their treatment. My mental health struggles have given me the tools to learn how to pivot in the face of failure and persist no matter what. I have worked hard to overcome celiac disease and anorexia and through these hardships, have gained resilience and now use my strengths to help others. I am passionate about working toward social justice whether it be lobbying in Washington DC for labeling medications gluten free, fundraising for a non-profit celiac organization, mentoring newly diagnosed children with celiac, or volunteering at a preschool in a poor community. I also aspire to collaborate with experts to create a mentoring program, called “You Got This” to instill feelings of hope among those facing challenges such as eating disorders, and dietary restrictions. I will strive to be a source of inspiration by continuing to advocate for mental health and financial resources and to normalize the struggles and the healing. Through my passion for social entrepreneurship, mentorship programs and by sharing my story, other teens will know recovery is possible.

My struggles started after I was diagnosed with celiac disease. “I want to grow N-O-W!” was the only thought my four-year-old self cared about. As a Kindergartener, I was smaller than the smallest Pre-K three-year-old because of damage caused by celiac. Between my size and food restrictions, I felt different and sad. Even after years of endoscopies, the results convinced my doctor that I was somehow eating gluten. Even worse, the doctor blamed me and my parents for seemingly eating gluten. That was until my doctor uncovered that I had a rare case of celiac that was unresponsive to a gluten-free diet. My new treatment plan was a severely restrictive diet with zero processed foods, requiring my mom to prepare my food from the garden. Though I excelled at school, enjoyed friendships, and danced competitively my sadness and anxiety became unmanageable when in 2020, I developed anorexia. People don’t notice how much food plays a role in life until they are deprived of it. I became addicted to being as small as possible, as I found something I could finally control. I had taken out years of worry and anger on my body. In October 2020, I was admitted inpatient where I met my current therapist, who saved my life through our hard work together. I learned that health and life are precious, and not guaranteed. My therapist supported me no matter how difficult my situation became, reminding me again and again- You Got This. Our hard work together beginning in 2020, her support, patience, and perseverance, has brought me so much closer to inner freedom. Through my recovery I gained resilience. I will attend college and major in Communication studies with a minor in Marketing. I was selected to participate in a Young Entrepreneurs Academy (https://yeaphiladelphia.org/) where I am learning how to develop my own online clothing business geared toward teens of all shapes and sizes. As a child, I would cut up shirts to make my own outfits. I rarely found clothing that matched my style, so I took matters into my own hands. VogueVilla LLC (https://voguevilla.net/) was born out of my wish to share my selections with other teens and inspire teens to feel confident in their own skin and to thrive with their uniqueness. My mission is to empower individuals, recognizing that everybody is unique and deserving of respect. Rooted in my personal struggle with an eating disorder, Voguevilla is dedicated to fostering a culture of inclusivity and body positivity. Once Voguevilla starts earning a profit, I will donate a portion of sales to the National Eating Disorder Association. Over 30 percent of individuals with eating disorders do not obtain the help they need so over the long term these funds will be used to help others fund their treatment. Azoe key part of my mission is giving back to the community, including sharing my dream by donating clothes to teens living in shelters and to community-based organizations in low-resourced communities. I also want to create a mentoring program for high school girls, called “You Got This” to instill feelings of hope among those facing challenges including cyberbullying, eating disorders, and dietary restrictions. I will be a source of inspiration by continuing to advocate for mental health resources and to normalize the struggles and also the healing so other teens will know that recovery is possible. This would have helped me tremendously. I hope to receive this scholarship to continue my academic career, work toward becoming a successful entrepreneur and helping teens the way others have helped me. I got this!

My goals are to pursue my passion for social entrepreneurship in fashion. I will attend college and major in Communication studies with a minor in Marketing. As a child, I would cut up shirts to make my own outfits. I rarely found clothing that matched my style, so I took matters into my own hands. VogueVilla LLC (https://voguevilla.net/) was born out of my wish to share my selections with other teens and inspire teens to feel confident in their own skin and to thrive with their uniqueness. In Oct. 2023, I was selected to participate in Young Entrepreneurs Academy (https://yeausa.org/) where we learn how to run a business. In May I will pitch my plan to investors for funding. At Voguevilla, my mission is to empower individuals, recognizing that everybody is unique and deserving of respect. Rooted in my personal struggle with eating disorders, Voguevilla is dedicated to fostering a culture of inclusivity and body positivity. Our mantra, "Your body is your home," embodies our belief that true beauty radiates from within and that embracing one's own body is essential for overall well-being. Through our products, services, and community engagement, we strive to inspire confidence, encourage self-expression, and promote a healthy relationship with oneself. Based on my computer analytics over one million individuals have viewed VogueVilla.net since October 2023. Once Voguevilla starts earning a profit, I will donate a portion of sales to the National Eating Disorder Association. Over 30 percent of individuals with eating disorders do not obtain the help they need so over the long term these funds will be used to help others fund their treatment. Also, a key part of my mission is giving back to the community, including sharing my dream by donating clothes to teens living in shelters and to community-based organizations in low-resourced communities. I am an ideal candidate for this scholarship. I believe I will be a successful entrepreneur because I know how to pivot in the face of failure and persist no matter what. I have worked hard to overcome celiac disease and anorexia and through these hardships, have gained resilience and now use my strengths to help others. I have been fortunate that my parents have health insurance that helped pay for my eating disorder treatment. I am passionate about working toward social justice whether it be lobbying in Washington DC, fundraising for a non-profit celiac organization, mentoring newly diagnosed children with celiac, or volunteering at a preschool in a poor community. For me a successful life looks like following my passion to be an entrepreneur, working toward success in business, completing college, using my education to succeed as an entrepreneur, all while working toward making the world a better place. In the long term I look forward to having a family of my own.

Living with a chronic medical condition presented enormous challenges, yet I have overcome and live with persistence and passion. My struggles started after I was diagnosed with celiac disease. “I want to grow N-O-W!” was the only thought my four-year-old self cared about. As a Kindergartener, I was smaller than the smallest Pre-K three-year-old because of damage caused by celiac. Between my size and food restrictions, I felt different and sad. Even after years of endoscopies, the results convinced my doctor that I was somehow eating gluten. Even worse, the doctor blamed me and my parents for seemingly eating gluten. That was until Dr. Fasano, a world-renowned gastroenterologist uncovered that I had a rare case of celiac that was unresponsive to a gluten-free diet. My new treatment plan was a severely restrictive diet with zero processed foods, requiring my mom to prepare my food from the garden. Though I excelled at school, enjoyed friendships, and danced competitively my sadness and anxiety became unmanageable when in 2020, I developed anorexia. People do not notice how much food plays a role in life until they are deprived of it. I became addicted to being as small as possible, as I found something I could finally control. I had taken out years of worry and anger on my body. In October 2020, I was admitted as an inpatient to Renfrew Eating Disorder Center where I met Alaina my current therapist, who saved my life through our hard work together. I learned that health and life are precious, and not guaranteed. I became passionate about sharing my story and inspiring others so that they, too, can reach recovery. My therapist, Alaina, supported me no matter how difficult my situation became, reminding me again and again- You Got This. Our hard work together beginning in 2020, her support, patience, and perseverance, has brought me so much closer to inner freedom. My goal is to pursue my passions in social entrepreneurship. In 2023 I launched a startup, an online business, VogueVilla (https://voguevilla.net/) out of my wish to offer styles for all sizes and shapes and inspire teens to feel confident. My Voguevilla mission includes sharing my dream by donating clothes to teens in need. I am an ideal candidate for this scholarship as I have worked intensely to overcome the challenges of celiac disease and anorexia and through these hardships, have gained resilience and now and in the future will use my strengths to help others in the community. My recovery has motivated me to work toward social justice including lobbying in Washington DC for the proper labeling of gluten free medications, fundraising for Beyond Celiac, a non-profit celiac organization, mentoring newly diagnosed children with celiac, and volunteering at a preschool in an underserved community. In 2023, I was selected to participate in Young Entrepreneurs Academy (https://yeausa.org/) where we meet weekly to develop our businesses, which I will continue to build on with my college education focusing on communications, social media, and entrepreneurship. When my business becomes profitable, I will donate a portion of each sale to organizations that serve teen girls in need. I plan to collaborate with experts to create a mentoring program, called “You Got This” to instill feelings of hope among those facing challenges such as eating disorders, and dietary restrictions. I will strive to be a source of inspiration by continuing to advocate for mental health and financial resources and to normalize the struggles and the healing. Through mentorship programs and by sharing my success story, other teens will know recovery is possible. I Got This!

Learning about mental health has been a huge part of my development beginning at age 4, when I was diagnosed with celiac disease. “I want to grow N-O-W!” was my only care in the world. At age 5, I was smaller than the smallest 3-year-old at my school because of damage caused by celiac. Between my size and food restrictions, I felt different and sad. As a child, I was so careful to avoid gluten, but even after years of scary endoscopies, the tests convinced my doctor that I was somehow eating gluten. That was until a world-renowned gastroenterologist uncovered that I had a rare case of celiac that was unresponsive to a gluten-free diet. At age 10, my new treatment plan was a severely restrictive diet with zero processed foods, requiring my mom to make my food from the garden. Even though I excelled at school, danced competitively, and enjoyed sleepovers (having to bring my own food), my anxiety became unmanageable. In 2020, I developed anorexia. People do not notice how much food plays a role in life until they are deprived of it. I became addicted to being as small as I could; I found something I could finally control. I had taken out my years of worry and anger on myself. In 2020, I was admitted to the Renfrew Eating Disorder Residential Center where I met Alaina, my therapist, who saved my life through our hard work together. At this point academics felt meaningless. I did what I had to do and just that. My recovery process took precedent and had only just begun… At 15 years old, after a peer posted on my Instagram, “You are ugly,” I was rushed to the hospital after I overdosed. The depression became intolerable. My life felt ruined. Shaking uncontrollably as the doctors prodded at every vein to insert the IV I experience fear that I had never dreamed of; all I could think about was “I don’t want to die.” Coming so close to death was my most significant awakening. I have learned that life is precious, not guaranteed. I became passionate about sharing my story and inspiring others so that they, too, can reach recovery. Alaina, has supported me no matter how difficult my situation became, reminding me repeatedly - You Got This. Our hard work, her support, patience, and my perseverance, has brought me so much closer to achieving freedom. Just recently she suggested we meet bimonthly instead of weekly. Progress! I have gained resilience and now have the luxury of prioritizing my academics and am so excited for college. I have learned that having even one true friend is a blessing and I actively prioritize my mental health by eating well, going to the gym (when I want to, not when my anorexia mandated it), spending time with my few true friends, focusing on my own interests (I now own my own online clothing line, https://voguevilla.net/, geared toward teens of all sizes) and actively engaging in recovery activities. I see my struggles with mental health as a blessing in disguise. Having goals, keeping up with school and definitely keeping conscious of my feelings are priorities. In addition to building my business, my goal is to create a mentoring program, called “You Got This” to instill feelings of hope among those facing challenges such as cyberbullying, eating disorders, and dietary restrictions. Part of my recovery process is to serve as a source of strength and inspiration by advocating for mental health resources and normalizing not only the struggles but also the healing. I Got This!