Staying Healthy, Happy, and True to Who You Are
By Paige
Who is your role model? Why?
My role model is Susan Conte, also known as my mother. She is beautiful, strong, and confident. I know that, no matter what, my mom will always be there to help me whenever I need it. She has always been there to support, love, and push me whenever I needed her most. I’m very grateful that I had such an amazing influence in my life. I know for a fact that I wouldn’t be half the woman that I am today if I didn’t have my mom.
What are you most proud of in your life?
I am proud of the way I’ve changed my life for the better. When I was younger, I didn’t care about school or my health. Over the years, I have worked hard to make lifestyle changes that improved my quality of life. When I started high school, my main priority became my academics. Now that I am in college, I continue to strive for good grades. Alongside my education, I have an on-campus job and internship. After I stopped playing soccer in high school, I stopped working out entirely. Over the years, I realized the negative effects it had on my body and mind! Recently, I have started running and eating better. I have found that this has improved my mood and has helped me feel healthier overall!
What are you passionate about?
I am passionate about human trafficking. I think it’s important for young girls to understand the issue, especially those that live in Ohio. This is mainly due to the fact that Ohio is one of the highest ranked states for human trafficking. Additionally, I’m passionate about domestic violence. I took a class at John Carroll University that really opened my eyes about this problem. I have continued to learn more about this topic after the class ended.
What makes you feel confident?
I feel confident when I’m happy. I feel confident when I’m around the people I love. I feel confident when I’m laughing so hard that I feel tears start to well up in my eyes. Lastly, I feel confident when I smile. I think it’s important that we feel confident when we’re just being ourselves.
What is your favorite inspirational quote?
““You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending.”
What advice would you give to your younger self?
If I had to give my younger self advice, I’d tell her that she shouldn’t care what other people think of her. I’ve spent too much time trying to change myself, hoping that it would make people like me. Eventually, however, I realized that I really didn’t care what they thought! I’d tell her the only opinion that should matter is her own! I wish I would have learned that a lot sooner - it would have saved me a lot of time.
