As a kid, my entrepreneurial spirit helped me build many imaginary futures in my head, own a dance studio, own a home, work in fashion, be an astronaut. I always came back to fashion; it is my one true passion. What I have come to realize is that it is more about what you can give than about what you can have. Making others feel confident in their skin (with the help of my unique clothing), makes me happy. It is my job to serve up options for anyone who feels like they don't have them.
One of the biggest challenges I've faced was coming to Wisconsin for school. Growing up I've always had a close relationship with my family. Not being able to be home for all the fun family events and missing out on seeing my cousins has been hard. The hardest part of coming to Wisconsin was the change in environment. I live in Minneapolis. There are many people who look like me and I rarely feel out of place going out to stores and restaurants. Since moving to Menomonie, I have gotten dirty looks and judgment from many people. When I leave the campus I can count on having at least one negative encounter. I have been followed by random people twice now where I felt like my life was in danger. I now tend to only go out when a friend or my boyfriend can go out with me.