My name is Katie and I am 20 years old. In 7th and 8th grade (way back in 2005) I was bullied. Two boys in my class would call me "wizard" because I was so nerdy and I liked Harry Potter (and, incidentally, wore glasses that looked a bit like HP's). However, that wasn't the extent of the bullying. Someone asked them why they didn't call me a witch instead of a wizard, since I was a girl... they said it was because I was so ugly, I looked like a boy. They held me down and kicked me, pulled my hair in the hallways, told me I was disgusting... every day I went home to my parents and cried. I told my teacher, but she did nothing about it. She just told me to get a hold of myself and ignore them... which is impossible, when all they do is follow you around all day in order to torment you. We told the principal and he didn't care. It stopped in high school, but only because I had become so quiet that no one bothered to bully me anymore.

I'm here to tell you it gets better. I know if you're getting bullied right now, it seems like it will never end. The bullies are vile, awful people and it seems like they'll never go away... but they will. And you will survive and become a better person. I'm studying Elementary Education (with a Middle School endorsement) right now, so that I can help children who are bullied. I want to make a difference. I am sick of seeing teachers and school administration not care about these kids and I am going to make sure that I can help. Bullying is real and there need to be consequences for the bullies.

I am a successful young woman, working towards her college degree. I am happily living on my own with my boyfriend and am most certainly not so ugly that I look like a boy. I still love Harry Potter, though. I am fighting bullying and just know, that everything will get better for you. You just have to get past this stage in your life, and everything will be better.