At school, kids mocked my shoes, asked if I rode a tractor, and laughed when I mentioned the farm. I hid my roots, embarrassed.
But back home, I was Mele—the girl who could fix a flat, chase chickens, and bake pies from scratch.
At the school fundraiser, I brought six sweet potato pies from my family recipe. They sold out instantly. That’s when Ms. Bell, our counselor, walked up and told me something that changed how I saw myself forever.