When I was younger, I suffered a traumatic brain injury. Throughout my youth, I struggled to keep up with my peers and always felt different. I have a large scar on my head that other classmates and sometimes friends would make fun of. I also had some learning differences that made me think and act differently. Even after explaining why, I was still getting made fun of or getting compared to others. I was bullied and teased for the way I looked and acted.

I was constantly changing everything about myself to fit in, but then I realized I was losing sight of who I truly was. But, I wanted people to like me for me and who I am, not who I pretended to be. I felt lost and alone. That’s why, in 2023, I created Always Be Yourself to inspire others to freely be who they truly are without judgment. My slogan is “unfiltered” because I believe the natural version of someone is the best version of them and they don’t need to hide or filter things out to fit in.

One way to express yourself is through clothing. So I designed my clothing line as a reminder to always be yourself unfiltered. I hope to encourage others that ever felt the way I did to be themselves unfiltered.