Nevaeh Shorter,
Irving, TX

These six words sketch the real texture of my days as a Black girl growing up. People often tell me I’m beautiful and clever, and I’m proud of both, but I move through a world that still casts shadowy judgments and expects me to prove myself at every turn. I’m sheltered in some moments protected by family and friends who want me safe but I’m also pushed to push beyond comfort, to speak up, to show up, to excel. A judge watches my every move, deciding who I am before I can show who I am, and I feel the weight of that gaze in public, on the street, at work . Some envy the doors I hope to open, the opportunities I pursue, though they don’t see the late nights, the careful choices, the fear-of-failure that rides along. Yet through it all I am loved—by family, friends, mentors—reminding me that my worth isn’t defined by others’ opinions but by the resilience I bring to each day.