Growing up, I grappled with ankyloglossia, a condition that affects speech ability and otherwise known as tongue-tie. As a result, I often felt like I didn’t have a voice or community that I belonged in. Speaking fluently was physically challenging for me, which discouraged me from speaking up in classrooms in fear that I would mispronounce a word or get bullied for my speech impediment. My tongue-tie was an invisible barrier that negatively impacted my self-confidence, preventing me from sharing my ideas or standing up for myself and my beliefs.
I was diagnosed with ankyloglossia when I was three years old and subsequently underwent surgery to remove the tongue-tie when I was eight. It took dozens of speech therapy sessions and practice, however, slowly but surely, my speech impediment started to disappear. By age ten, I could speak completely normally, and no one would’ve guessed my tongue had ever been tied. Since the surgery, I’ve turned my speech impediment—and my greatest insecurity—into a platform and a voice for good.
One of the biggest challenges that came along with my speech impediment was the lack of community to support me through my struggles. Thus, I was determined to change this and create a safe space for other girls facing similar battles. In 2024, I founded Girls Who Inspire, a podcast to help girls find their own voices and remind them that they are not alone.
Today, my podcast offers over 30 published episodes and has achieved over 300 streams, a #1 ranking from Spotify, and over 60,000 social media impressions. Through Girls Who Inspire, my mission is simple: to inspire girls to use their voice as a tool to pursue their passions, and fearlessly so. Each episode features young leaders and professionals whose voices have reached all areas of the world, including places like Poland, the United Kingdom, and Belgium.
The most impactful moment of my podcast experience was connecting with a listener who was inspired by Girls Who Inspire and later went on to create her own podcast. This experience reaffirmed why community and representation matter: how a guest speaker’s work and advice can spark initiative and confidence. Seeing how my conversations with amazing individuals can empower others to gain confidence and pursue their passions as they create passion projects of their own has been rewarding as the founder of Girls Who Inspire.
Outside of Girls Who Inspire, I have sought out opportunities that allow me to lead, create, and inspire. As a Texas Future Business Leader of America (FBLA) Officer, representing 6,000 members, I initiate and organize programs to help bridge the growing financial literacy gap among communities, especially low-income ones, in Texas in order to empower individuals with practical skills for their future. I also serve on the National Team for GirlCon, an international hybrid STEM conference, where I work toward creating spaces to spark curiosity and empower individuals in the sciences.
Through every encounter, I have realized that leadership and empowerment come in a variety of forms. Whether through continuing to grow Girls Who Inspire or providing unique experiences for girls, I intend to continue to channel my interests with the aim of creating lasting impacts and spaces for individuals to unlock their highest potentials.
