I have a seizure disorder, ADHD and a hearing impairment—all of which made me a prime target for bullies.
Kids loved to make fun of me. Finally my mom had enough, and enrolled me in a new school, Peaster Independent, Peaster, Texas, in eighth grade.
That first day at Peaster, I was nervous. Scared. I walked into homeroom and stood in the back. Suddenly two guys walked up. Here it comes, I thought.
“Hi, my name’s Jon,” one of the boys said. “I’m Tommie,” said the other. Soon we were talking about sports, favorite subjects in school, even girls.
Jon and Tommie stuck by me over the years. They supported me when I joined the prom committee, asked me to be the manager for our high school baseball team, even helped me meet the girl I liked.
“You can do anything you want,” Jon would say.
He was right. I overcame the odds, graduating from Peaster High in 1998. Now I’m in my last semester of college, pursuing a degree in early childhood education.
I hope to pass the courage my two best friends gave me to kids who have struggles like mine. I want them to know they too can succeed.
