
[Applause] see your goal one set but ass is not
see your goal one set but ass is not
see your goal one set but ass is not finally destroyed me deterred me or the
finally destroyed me deterred me or the
finally destroyed me deterred me or the community it is only strengthen me as
community it is only strengthen me as
community it is only strengthen me as much as we don’t want to do sometimes
much as we don’t want to do sometimes
much as we don’t want to do sometimes four passed in definers and often teases
four passed in definers and often teases
four passed in definers and often teases valuable lessons my freshman year of
valuable lessons my freshman year of
valuable lessons my freshman year of high school was in some ways the most
high school was in some ways the most
high school was in some ways the most difficult time of my life I’m sure
difficult time of my life I’m sure
difficult time of my life I’m sure everyone feels that way at some point in
everyone feels that way at some point in
everyone feels that way at some point in high school but I mean it when I tell
high school but I mean it when I tell
high school but I mean it when I tell everyone today that I felt like my world
everyone today that I felt like my world
everyone today that I felt like my world was going to end at the beginning of my
was going to end at the beginning of my
was going to end at the beginning of my freshman year at only 14 years old I was
freshman year at only 14 years old I was
freshman year at only 14 years old I was raped by an 18 year old it got even
raped by an 18 year old it got even
raped by an 18 year old it got even worse when while released on bail my
worse when while released on bail my
worse when while released on bail my rapist attacked another 14 year old girl
rapist attacked another 14 year old girl
rapist attacked another 14 year old girl throughout the following court
throughout the following court
throughout the following court proceedings I had several other young
proceedings I had several other young
proceedings I had several other young girls tell me that they had also been
girls tell me that they had also been
girls tell me that they had also been raped by the same man that year I was
raped by the same man that year I was
raped by the same man that year I was diagnosed with depression PTSD in
diagnosed with depression PTSD in
diagnosed with depression PTSD in general and social anxiety my sophomore
general and social anxiety my sophomore
general and social anxiety my sophomore year of high school is very difficult I
year of high school is very difficult I
year of high school is very difficult I failed two classes and suffered there
failed two classes and suffered there
failed two classes and suffered there bullying from both my peers and even
bullying from both my peers and even
bullying from both my peers and even teachers in my high school it comes to
teachers in my high school it comes to
teachers in my high school it comes to such a point that I spent time at the
such a point that I spent time at the
such a point that I spent time at the hospital on suicide watch and turns
hospital on suicide watch and turns
hospital on suicide watch and turns medication after medication to deal with
medication after medication to deal with
medication after medication to deal with my depression I struggled to keep going
my depression I struggled to keep going
my depression I struggled to keep going during my junior year of high school I
during my junior year of high school I
during my junior year of high school I got involved with my local drug
got involved with my local drug
got involved with my local drug coalition they offered an after-school
coalition they offered an after-school
coalition they offered an after-school program for high schoolers that aim to
program for high schoolers that aim to
program for high schoolers that aim to garner interest in positive activities
garner interest in positive activities
garner interest in positive activities rather than allow kids the time to get
rather than allow kids the time to get
rather than allow kids the time to get involved with drugs or alcohol a
involved with drugs or alcohol a
involved with drugs or alcohol a prevalent problem in my home town I
prevalent problem in my home town I
prevalent problem in my home town I experienced many great opportunities in
experienced many great opportunities in
experienced many great opportunities in this program and discovered tons of new
this program and discovered tons of new
this program and discovered tons of new interests the drug coalition went above
interests the drug coalition went above
interests the drug coalition went above and beyond to really connect with kids
and beyond to really connect with kids
and beyond to really connect with kids and help them excel I learned new things
and help them excel I learned new things
and help them excel I learned new things and made my first real adult connections
and made my first real adult connections
and made my first real adult connections because of my interest and enjoyment in
because of my interest and enjoyment in
because of my interest and enjoyment in the program the drug coalition asked me
the program the drug coalition asked me
the program the drug coalition asked me to speak at their yearly fundraiser they
to speak at their yearly fundraiser they
to speak at their yearly fundraiser they held with all their public donors
held with all their public donors
held with all their public donors I spoke to nearly 100 people about my
I spoke to nearly 100 people about my
I spoke to nearly 100 people about my experience and helped raise over $50,000
experience and helped raise over $50,000
experience and helped raise over $50,000 that would go back to more kids like me
that would go back to more kids like me
that would go back to more kids like me during my senior year I used
during my senior year I used
during my senior year I used crowdfunding and worked with my local
crowdfunding and worked with my local
crowdfunding and worked with my local domestic abuse shelter my teachers and
domestic abuse shelter my teachers and
domestic abuse shelter my teachers and my family to raise nearly one thousand
my family to raise nearly one thousand
my family to raise nearly one thousand dollars I used my own palms and work
dollars I used my own palms and work
dollars I used my own palms and work from anonymous supporters to create a
from anonymous supporters to create a
from anonymous supporters to create a see page book and self-published a
see page book and self-published a
see page book and self-published a poetry anthology titled the road to
poetry anthology titled the road to
poetry anthology titled the road to recovery the project months to complete
recovery the project months to complete
recovery the project months to complete some of the downrod is in the hospital
some of the downrod is in the hospital
some of the downrod is in the hospital with pneumonia being able to see a
with pneumonia being able to see a
with pneumonia being able to see a tangible product of my work helps me
tangible product of my work helps me
tangible product of my work helps me realize what I’m capable of
realize what I’m capable of
realize what I’m capable of just last April I was able to be I was
just last April I was able to be I was
just last April I was able to be I was asked to be the keynote speaker at a
asked to be the keynote speaker at a
asked to be the keynote speaker at a fundraiser for my hometown domestic beef
fundraiser for my hometown domestic beef
fundraiser for my hometown domestic beef shelter this shelter called the
shelter this shelter called the
shelter this shelter called the advocates posted a yearly fundraiser
advocates posted a yearly fundraiser
advocates posted a yearly fundraiser every summer and have set their
every summer and have set their
every summer and have set their fundraiser goal to $200,000 with the
fundraiser goal to $200,000 with the
fundraiser goal to $200,000 with the help of the advocates I spoke to roughly
help of the advocates I spoke to roughly
help of the advocates I spoke to roughly one hundred our two hundred people about
one hundred our two hundred people about
one hundred our two hundred people about sexual assault and violence and helped
sexual assault and violence and helped
sexual assault and violence and helped us surpass their $200,000 goal this year
us surpass their $200,000 goal this year
us surpass their $200,000 goal this year I was approached by an organization here
I was approached by an organization here
I was approached by an organization here in the u.s. called Marsy’s law for all
in the u.s. called Marsy’s law for all
in the u.s. called Marsy’s law for all this organization aims to implement or
this organization aims to implement or
this organization aims to implement or strengthen victims rights across the
strengthen victims rights across the
strengthen victims rights across the states with lots of help and with
states with lots of help and with
states with lots of help and with several other people I wrote and spoke
several other people I wrote and spoke
several other people I wrote and spoke to members of the House and Senate here
to members of the House and Senate here
to members of the House and Senate here in Idaho while the bill did pass in the
in Idaho while the bill did pass in the
in Idaho while the bill did pass in the Senate it did not pass in the house but
Senate it did not pass in the house but
Senate it did not pass in the house but we were successful in implementing
we were successful in implementing
we were successful in implementing victims rights Awareness Week in the
victims rights Awareness Week in the
victims rights Awareness Week in the state of Idaho thanks to Marsy’s law i
state of Idaho thanks to Marsy’s law i
state of Idaho thanks to Marsy’s law i found an interest in activism and
found an interest in activism and
found an interest in activism and lobbying that i never knew I had now
lobbying that i never knew I had now
lobbying that i never knew I had now let’s go back it wasn’t until the summer
let’s go back it wasn’t until the summer
let’s go back it wasn’t until the summer before my sophomore year that my rapist
before my sophomore year that my rapist
before my sophomore year that my rapist was sentenced to three years in prison
was sentenced to three years in prison
was sentenced to three years in prison and seven years indeterminate this was a
and seven years indeterminate this was a
and seven years indeterminate this was a short-lived victory when only a few
short-lived victory when only a few
short-lived victory when only a few months later my rapist appealed his
months later my rapist appealed his
months later my rapist appealed his sentence more months went by before the
sentence more months went by before the
sentence more months went by before the judge in the case decided to uphold his
judge in the case decided to uphold his
judge in the case decided to uphold his original sentence it was in my junior
original sentence it was in my junior
original sentence it was in my junior year that I attended the first parole
year that I attended the first parole
year that I attended the first parole hearing of my rapist which was
hearing of my rapist which was
hearing of my rapist which was ultimately denied in the summer after my
ultimately denied in the summer after my
ultimately denied in the summer after my senior year I attended the second parole
senior year I attended the second parole
senior year I attended the second parole hearing for my rapist and it was just
hearing for my rapist and it was just
hearing for my rapist and it was just this month that I attended the third
this month that I attended the third
this month that I attended the third everyone and anyone can be and is a
everyone and anyone can be and is a
everyone and anyone can be and is a survivor being from a rape like me or
survivor being from a rape like me or
survivor being from a rape like me or Madonna or Lady Gaga or even if it just
Madonna or Lady Gaga or even if it just
Madonna or Lady Gaga or even if it just means getting up over and over every
means getting up over and over every
means getting up over and over every morning life goes on but if you take
morning life goes on but if you take
morning life goes on but if you take anything from today
anything from today
anything from today I hope it is this so do you no matter
I hope it is this so do you no matter
I hope it is this so do you no matter what we face in life and no matter what
what we face in life and no matter what
what we face in life and no matter what gets handed to us the world does not
gets handed to us the world does not
gets handed to us the world does not stop just because we can’t deal anymore
stop just because we can’t deal anymore
stop just because we can’t deal anymore so here’s what we do we don’t stop I’m
so here’s what we do we don’t stop I’m
so here’s what we do we don’t stop I’m asking you to keep going to never stop
asking you to keep going to never stop
asking you to keep going to never stop facing down whatever challenge gets
facing down whatever challenge gets
facing down whatever challenge gets thrown at you each and every person has
thrown at you each and every person has
thrown at you each and every person has a hidden strength inside them and
a hidden strength inside them and
a hidden strength inside them and sometimes it takes the worst possible
sometimes it takes the worst possible
sometimes it takes the worst possible thing for us to find it no matter what
thing for us to find it no matter what
thing for us to find it no matter what you will prevail through your struggles
you will prevail through your struggles
you will prevail through your struggles so please keep going
[Applause]
[Applause] [Music]
[Music]
[Music] [Applause]
”
Be First to Comment