Walking into my elementary school for the first time, I was excited beyond belief. I moved through the halls just like the big kids. However, I noticed that everyone’s eyes turned to me, not because they loved my first-day outfit, despite my cool light-up shoes, but because I had a physical disability. I quickly felt self-conscious as I realized that I was different. Nobody looked like me. I stuck out like a sore thumb as I awkwardly toddled through the hallways while wearing my long-leg braces. My peers stared at my legs rather than listening to what I had to say. I couldn’t run with them on the playground or compete in the same activities in P.E. class. The school separated me from my non-disabled peers for something I couldn’t control. I tried resisting these feelings of helplessness I experienced as I watched my peers pass me by, but I knew that I would encounter that feeling of powerlessness for the rest of my education.