My traffickers thought they could break me. They thought I was weak. Fragile. A decoration. Like a petal on a flower. But I proved them wrong. I showed them that I'm a strong, capable, resilient woman. And I survived to tell my story. But that story, no matter how important and worthy of telling, does not define me. It is one chapter of my life, and I know there are so many happier chapters ahead of me.
Petal to STEM Foundation helped me see that. They believed in me and gave me a full community college scholarship so I can become a radiology technician. Who knows, maybe one day I'll even go to medical school. I'm not really sure what the future holds, but one thing is for sure: From now on, I am the author of my story!
~ Alyssa B., 2024 Scholarship Recipient
