Aidan Mellor, 10

“I like balance in my life; a mix of good and bad experiences keeps me in touch with being realistic about expectations and the things happening around me. Around middle school, when I was entering a bigger school, there were a lot of people I didn’t know and being around that sort of environment, especially when things can get a little hectic and where people are trying to fit in, that’s where I felt very out of balance. I felt like there were a lot of things around me that I felt like I was getting too much of one and I didn’t feel natural. Around eighth grade and freshman year, I felt more and more balanced in how I felt about the people around me. I stopped caring about what others thought about me and I just wanted to show people that this is how I am and if this is what I want to be, then I will work to that but still, I choose not to care anymore.”