An old, tattered photo hangs on my corkboard — a snapshot from the past: me at eight years old, cozy in an oversized sweatshirt, beach hair framing a toothless grin. Nestled under scattered receipts and polaroids, this picture serves as a daily reminder to keep working hard because, in my opinion, there's nothing more rewarding than becoming someone your younger self would admire.
A lot of people would characterize me as a workaholic — which may be true considering I practically live at the library and work more than a few jobs. But I can't help it.
I am a survivor of childhood sexual abuse. And while it was something that was not easy to admit when I was younger, it is something that I am not ashamed to talk about now. Surviving this experience was probably one of the hardest things I have ever had to do — from filing a police report, to battling internal turmoil, to coming to terms with the fact that the police and some family members didn’t believe me.
But I did survive it. And every day, I strive to make the younger girl who was so strong and made the decision to persevere proud of who I've become — of who we've become.
So, I stay the extra hours at the library, working on constitutional law homework so that I can get into a good law school one day and become the advocate that I needed when I was younger. I join extracurriculars like The Beacon so that I can be a part of helping people tell their stories, even when it's difficult to put into words.
I work four jobs so that I can pay my tuition and receive an education to learn how to address the pervasiveness of gender-based violence in society. And, I surround myself with friends and professors who inspire me to be better and remind me to take a break when I need it.
In my mind, if I am able to replicate one tenth of the strength of the girl in the picture hanging on my wall, I will have made myself proud.
So, each day as I step out of my door, whether it's for class or work, that picture on my wall reminds me why I pour my efforts into everything I do. And, I’m so excited and grateful that I have the chance to keep pushing.
Julianna Pedone is the Sports Section Editor for The Beacon. She can be reached at pedone25@up.edu
Have something to say about this? We’re dedicated to publishing a wide variety of viewpoints, and we’d like to hear from you. Voice your opinion in The Beacon.
