THE INFLUENTIAL WOMEN SERIES-PART IV-MISS S.
I am an educator. I currently work as an ESL specialist in a low-income elementary school where I teach English to kids from other languages, cultures, and countries. I get to help kids and their families feel safe, comforted, welcomed, protected, cared for, and loved. I get to help be a mediator for them by translating between Spanish and English.

God has given me the gift of unconditional love for others as the driving force behind this calling, and He has equipped me for this adventurous journey through important people and inspirational moments in my life. I show up every day because I LOVE what I do, and I know my students and coworkers are counting on me to be there. My love for these kids who have been through so much in their lives drives me to be there for them, to be their cheerleader who constantly reminds them that they are worth fighting for. At the end of the day, as long as they know I love them, I know I have done my best.
Surround yourself with others who will build you up, not tear you down; give you truthful feedback, but not steal your joy; experts in your field who will mentor you with a genuine desire to see you succeed, not tower over you and see you as a threat. Find those unwavering people who have your best interest at heart, and never try to chase your dreams alone.
I feel honored and humbled. I do not always feel strong, but at the core of my being, I have the joy of the Lord as my strength. I couldn’t and wouldn’t be who I am without Him. No matter what I do or say, my constant prayer is that people will see the strength of God’s unconditional love alive inside of me.
This world has and continues to present so many fake people and images to us that we can become consumed with truly UNFAIR comparisons between those and ourselves. It is a miserable life trying to compare ourselves to others, and we are often blinded by perceptions and false ideas. Even if someone seems to have their lives put together by what they portray on social media or when they talk to you, you NEVER fully know what is going on inside their hearts, minds, and souls. What I have learned in experiencing other cultures is that everyone finds different things “most beautiful.” It can be exhausting trying to figure out what to change about yourself to live up to someone else’s standards. Therefore, why waste your life trying to exhaustingly please someone else? Be who YOU are, not who someone else wants you to be. Be genuinely and uniquely YOU. You were uniquely created. You have special gifts and abilities. You have lived a life full of stories that have shaped who you are. You are an overcomer. You are alive for a reason. For most of my life, I have been confident in the woman I am on the inside, but I am continuing to learn to love who I am on the outside. The fact is, I am a curvy girl. I have ALWAYS been a curvy girl from birth. Haha! With my stocky build, I will never be “skinny,” and you know what, I am becoming okay with that. 😀 Embracing who YOU are inspires other women to do the same. I know I have been inspired by the fierce women of all shapes and sizes I have seen featured through Red Stiletto Beauty. We have to continue encouraging each other and coming together to help each other live our best lives, ones filled with freedom, strength, joy, peace, and love.
