Since childhood, I have loved everything about performance. What started as a passion for dance evolved into a love of theater and public speaking as well. When I moved schools before ninth grade, I found myself becoming timid and insecure. That said, my foundation in the performance arts helped me branch out and be successful in my new environment. Now, my mission is to help you realize that you belong in every space you enter! You may not necessarily realize that, but if you keep practicing you will gain refreshing new confidence and self esteem. I hope that my Speed Shine blog will give you all the tips you need to shine in every area of your life- whether that be on stage, in the cafeteria, or in your next job interview. You got this!
I was a shy kid. I would never raise my hand in class, always sat in the back corners of the school cafeteria at lunchtime, and even had to bring a book with me to family gatherings when interaction became too overwhelming. And then, to top it all off, I was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes—an autoimmune disease where one’s pancreas can no longer produce insulin to break down foods and sugars on its own—when I was 6 years old. I felt worried and different before as it was, and now I had two wearable devices that I administered insulin through and monitored my blood glucose levels on. While life-changing, these two devices constantly beep to signal whenever my blood sugar levels get too low and/or too high, and I was the only kid whenever treats were brought into school to celebrate a birthday that had to bring the treat home. A longtime dancer and thespian, I remember wearing a skin tone-colored armband over my devices to both disguise them and fit in with the others.
Even though I was shy, I made a choice to fake it, and the world opened up to me. I was brave and I started going to auditions for both community and school theater, getting the opportunity to play roles like Cinderella in Into the Woods and Queen Titania in A Midsummer Night’s Dream amongst others. Not long after, I joined my school’s debate team as the only female, and through lots of learning curves and hard work along the way, I am now the captain of the team, and qualified along with my partner to compete in the virtual, nation-wide Tournament of Champions. I realized that putting people at ease put me at ease, and found that eye contact and even the volume I spoke at gave me authority and opened doors. And pretty soon, I wasn’t faking it anymore: I believed it.
Soon, that skin tone-colored armband remained in the back of my drawer, as I no longer felt the need to hide the parts of me that make me, well, me! I take every chance I get to represent the T1D community, and no longer shy away from answering questions people may have about them—I use it as a learning opportunity to promote awareness.
Fifteen lead and supporting theater roles and five debate titles later, I understand the power of poise and love teaching others to Shine in their own lives.