Ronelle Valera: Miss Collegiate America

Aloha! My name is Ronelle and I am the reigning Miss Collegiate America. Growing up in a small town in Hawaiʻ,i I was an easy target for being bullied. There were only so many people in my town and I was the girl with crooked teeth, really bad eczema, and I didn't have many friends. I remember how kids wouldn't want to sit by me at lunch and would call me the cruelest names. I even recall the adults talk about me in a negative way and these were the people who are supposed to support and be there for students. It felt like everyone around me would bully me and I would never want to leave my home. I would wear long sleeves and jeans in 90 degree humid Hawaiʻi weather to make sure that no one would see my skin. 
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This is why B.R.A.V.E means so much to me. I never want anyone to have to feel the way that I did. B.R.A.V.E really helped me see that in order to be there for other people I really need to build respect and values for myself first. I learned that only I can define my own beauty and at the end of the day only my opinion of myself should really matter. I am now so confident in my skin (literally) and I encourage others to feel the same way with B.R.A.V.E. One thing to remember is that bullying has a lot more to do with the bully and less to do with us. Always be kind and treat others the way that you want to be treated!