Maria Summers Acceptance Speech

Good afternoon, my name is Maria Summers. I am 19 years old, and am currently an undergraduate student at Randolph Macon College in Ashland, Virginia. Before I get too deep into what I am doing now, I would like to take you back 19 years to the day I was born. I was born in December of 1987, a month too early. There were some very obvious complications that could be seen from the get go. Among these were a bilateral complete cleft lip and palate. Although I was born with many additional medical and physical issues which were ultimately diagnosed as Nager’s Syndrome, the craniofacial issues have been the source of many emotional struggles over the years.

My final surgery, number 20, to correct my cleft was a day of celebration in the summer of 2006. It had been an 18 year journey that I can honestly say I was glad to see end. But that doesn’t mean that it was all bad. My lip and palate were initially repaired when I was very young, but because of other physical problems I was born with, doctors felt it would be better to wait until I was finished growing to complete the bone grafting and prepare my implants. This meant going through my school years with a huge gap in the bridge of my mouth. Friends, neighbors and family all accepted me as I was but I endured years of stares, snickers, and teasing from people who didn’t know me - all because of the way I was born, not for something that I had any control over changing. I quickly realized however, that if I didn’t let what people were saying and the fact that they were staring get to me, it was like it wasn’t even happening.

Self confidence and your self esteem are your greatest tools for over coming the obstacles you will face when dealing with the negative social stigma that comes from looking different. Unfortunately society has a standard by which everyone has to measure up to, and the fact that we look different means that we can never reach that standard. But who really cares what society thinks? I know I have learned not to, because even if I did look the way that society thinks I should look, I probably wouldn’t measure up in a different way. Our goal in life should be to live our lives to the fullest with what we’ve got. I have learned that feeling sorry for myself will get me absolutely nowhere because it won’t change the circumstances I have been dealt. Accepting what is in store for you and making the best of what you’ve got will get you a lot farther in life than wishing you were someone different, but I’ve been there before. I used to sit outside my house on our porch and just stare inside at the rest of my family just wishing I could be one of them, if even just for a day. I could wish all I wanted, but it never worked, and that’s okay with me because I was made this way for a reason, even though I don‘t fully know why now, I feel that I have started to learn why through dealing with my circumstances in a positive way.

Accepting your circumstances does not mean that you have to accept the way people treat you because of them. Kids can be very cruel and fitting in can sometimes be a very difficult thing. I have found though that if you are self confident and have a positive self esteem people - most people - will accept you for who you are, and not care what you look like. For those who don’t accept you for who you are, all you can do is try to educate them about your circumstances and hope they can see you for who you are. If they still don’t accept you, then they probably aren’t worth your time and effort anyway. Surrounding yourself with people that care about you and love you for who you are will help you gain the self confidence and self esteem you need to face the stares, snickers and teasing you will face from people who don‘t care to get to know the real you. When trying to figure out how to fit in, and with who to fit in, be true to yourself. Don’t try to act like someone you’re not just to fit in with a particular group of people. If they are only accepting you for what you are pretending to be, and not who you are, then they are not the kind of friends you want. The friends you want will enjoy having you around because of who you truly are, and not who you want to be. They will look past the physical differences and accept you for you.

Finally I would like to encourage you all to seek opportunities. For many people opportunities may just come knocking at their door, but for us, they don’t always come that easy. There are so many chances for you to share your story and use what you’ve been through to help inspire others to look at their situations with a positive attitude. This scholarship is one example. I applied last year, but did not win. I got a very nice letter thanking me for applying and suggesting that I apply again next year. Instead of getting bummed out and quitting I did apply again, and here I am. This organization is a great way to find opportunities to share your experiences with others. Another great organization is Operation Smile. This organization goes overseas to Third world countries and performs cleft lip and palate surgeries, among others, for children of very poor families. This organization allows students the opportunity to go over with them and hang out with the children before and after surgeries. What an awesome chance that is for us to participate in making a difference in children’s lives so far away. We would bring a sense of hope and encouragement to the families by sharing our stories with them about how we have overcome living with a cleft lip and palate. I have plans to participate in one of their two week missions next summer so that I can use my story and experiences to inspire children and families struggling to understand why this is happening to them.

As promised I will tell you a little about myself and what I am doing now. This summer I am doing a research fellowship in the chemistry department in which I am studying the West Nile Virus. This fall I will be a second-semester sophomore at Randolph Macon College majoring in bio-chemistry with a pre-med emphasis. My goal is to attend MCV/VCU medical center in Richmond, Virginia once I graduate. I plan to become a pediatrician and to own and operate a holistic health center. We will not only focus on treating the physical and medical needs of children, but also the spiritual, mental, and emotional needs of our patients and their families as well. I think that by using what I have learned throughout my life about how to stay positive, having self confidence, and a positive self esteem - I will be able to help and inspire many other children to keep their heads up and fight through the tough times. And yes, there will still be tough times even with good self confidence and positive self esteem, but the goal is to never let it get you down. Fight through it and stay strong. Surround yourself with the people that love and care for you, and you will get through those rough patches, and will be a stronger more driven individual for it.

I would like to thank the Virginia Smiles Organization for allowing me the opportunity to come share my story and experiences through awarding me the 2007 scholarship. I promise to do all I can this year to promote the Virginia Smiles Organization.

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