Do It Anyway - by Christina

One of my favorite places to be is the Welcome Table, a homeless ministry in a church in downtown Asheville, North Carolina.  Every Wednesday, they serve hundreds of homeless people a delicious meal, sometimes serving as many as 600 people in one afternoon.  Afterwards, they open up the sanctuary for a worship service that embodies a “holy chaos” as ministers, homeless people, college students and CEO’s on lunch breaks all praise God together. 

This year, I’m blessed to be home in Asheville for the majority of the summer.  For the first time, I’m able to go help serve meals before the services on Wednesday.  This is not your typical soup kitchen homeless ministry.  Instead of moving through an assembly line of food, visitors are served family style gourmet meals.  The first day I served, I helped pass out platters of lemon poppy seed chicken adorned with banana peppers and sprigs of fresh cilantro, collard greens, roasted potatoes, fresh salad, buttery cornbread and fluffy raisin bread pudding.

The two incredible men who run the kitchen plan the meals well in advance, taking joy in creating delicious dishes that match the quality of something you could buy in a nice restaurant.  One of the men explained to me how important the presentation of the food is.  He said that he didn’t want them going through a soup kitchen line as if they were in a prison.  He wanted them to know they didn’t deserve leftovers or second best.  As fellow human beings, they deserved the best. 

How often do we get rushed, stressed, burned out or lazy and give people our second best, particularly people we may think don’t deserve our best?  What a striking portrait of love for humankind it would be if we treated everyone with the respect, compassion and thoughtfulness we sometimes reserve for those we consider by our standards or the world’s to be “worthy”?

Yet sometimes when you open your heart and give your best, people may not notice your kindness, may not bother to thank you or may accuse you of ulterior motives.  It is important to not be discouraged.

At the very first table I served at the Welcome Table, a women asked for more chicken, which we couldn’t give seconds of.  I apologized and offered to get her more salad or bread instead.  She was furious.  She pointed her thumbs down at me and told me my service got two thumbs down.  She then told me I could go and send someone else over to refill her water, that I was a disappointment. 

At first, I was stunned and didn’t know how to react!  Yet, we have to love people where they are, knowing that we are all in need of a little grace.  So I pulled myself together, smiled back at her and said, “Alright, great!  Let me know if I can do anything else for you!”

Sometimes life isn’t all peachy.  Sometimes we go out of our way to give our very best and get two thumbs down in return.  Maybe you refused to cheat on a test like your friends did and ended up getting a lower grade in your class because of it.  Or maybe when you don’t get the playing time you deserve, instead of complaining or being rude to your coach, you wait patiently with humility – something no one ever compliments you on.  Some of the greatest acts of kindness go unnoticed and unappreciated.  I think that these are the times when the core of our ministry and character is tested.  One of my favorite poems of all times provides inspiration for the times when we may think that our hard work is insignificant or meaningless.  Written by the selfless Mother Teresa, it helps us to remember what to do when we get two thumbs down.  Do it anyway. 

“Anyway” by- Mother Teresa
 
People are often unreasonable, illogical and self centered;
Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives;
Be kind anyway.
If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies;
Succeed anyway.
If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you;
Be honest and frank anyway.
What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight;
Build anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous;
Be happy anyway.
The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow;
Do good anyway.
Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough;
Give the world the best you've got anyway.
You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and God;
It was never between you and them anyway.

Christina Maxwell is a college freshman at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan majoring in Musical Theatre. Originally from Asheville , North Carolina, Christina was a participant in the Distinguished Young Women program and was selected as the Distinguished Young Woman of North Carolina for 2012 and the Distinguished Young Woman of America for 2012. Learn more about Christina here!

National Be Your Best Self Week - Be Studios - a video from Christina

This week, April 22-26, is National Be Your Best Self Week! Christina Maxwell, Distinguished Young Woman of America shares her thoughts on being studious, one of five elements that make up the Be Your Best Self program. Check back throughout the week for more videos from Christina!




Christina Maxwell is a college freshman at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan majoring in Musical Theatre. Originally from Asheville , North Carolina, Christina was a participant in the Distinguished Young Women program and was selected as the Distinguished Young Woman of North Carolina for 2012 and the Distinguished Young Woman of America for 2012. Learn more about Christina here!

National Be Your Best Self Week - Be Responsible - a video from Christina

This week, April 22-26, is National Be Your Best Self Week! Christina Maxwell, Distinguished Young Woman of America shares her thoughts on being responsible, one of five elements that make up the Be Your Best Self program. Check back throughout the week for more videos from Christina!




Christina Maxwell is a college freshman at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan majoring in Musical Theatre. Originally from Asheville , North Carolina, Christina was a participant in the Distinguished Young Women program and was selected as the Distinguished Young Woman of North Carolina for 2012 and the Distinguished Young Woman of America for 2012. Learn more about Christina here!

National Be Your Best Self Week - Be Involved - a video from Christina

This week, April 22-26, is National Be Your Best Self Week! Christina Maxwell, Distinguished Young Woman of America shares her thoughts on being involved, one of five elements that make up the Be Your Best Self program. Check back throughout the week for more videos from Christina!

Christina Maxwell is a college freshman at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan majoring in Musical Theatre. Originally from Asheville , North Carolina, Christina was a participant in the Distinguished Young Women program and was selected as the Distinguished Young Woman of North Carolina for 2012 and the Distinguished Young Woman of America for 2012. Learn more about Christina here!

National Be Your Best Self Week - Be Ambitious - a video from Christina

This week, April 22-26, is National Be Your Best Self Week! Christina Maxwell, Distinguished Young Woman of America shares her thoughts on being ambitious, one of five elements that make up the Be Your Best Self program. Check back throughout the week for more videos from Christina!





Christina Maxwell is a college freshman at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan majoring in Musical Theatre. Originally from Asheville , North Carolina, Christina was a participant in the Distinguished Young Women program and was selected as the Distinguished Young Woman of North Carolina for 2012 and the Distinguished Young Woman of America for 2012. Learn more about Christina here!

National Be Your Best Self Week - Be Healthy - a video from Christina

This week, April 22-26, is National Be Your Best Self Week! Christina Maxwell, Distinguished Young Woman of America shares her thoughts on staying healthy, one of five elements that make up the Be Your Best Self program. Check back throughout the week for more videos from Christina!




Christina Maxwell is a college freshman at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan majoring in Musical Theatre. Originally from Asheville , North Carolina, Christina was a participant in the Distinguished Young Women program and was selected as the Distinguished Young Woman of North Carolina for 2012 and the Distinguished Young Woman of America for 2012. Learn more about Christina here!

Not Wasting Our Youth - by Christina

George Bernard Shaw once said, “youth is wasted on the young”.  As a young person, this can be a somewhat discouraging thing to hear.  I think it would be quite a tragedy to waste the golden years of opportunity in our youth.  Yet, in some ways, it is hard not to.  Although our bodies are young, we don’t have the wisdom that can come only through experiencing the years of life’s mountaintops and valleys.  In our youth, we sometimes can’t fully understand the depth of the decisions we’re making, the words we’re saying and the challenges we’re facing.  In effect, we sometimes end up squandering our youth and wasting the precious moments of health and vitality we are blessed to have.

Yet, all around us, there are people who have the wisdom we are lacking.  The older generations of people in our lives have lived through the triumphant celebrations and heartbreaking tragedies that life brings.  Many of them have faced war, sickness, political strife, death of loved ones, hunger, disappointment and heartbreak that we have not yet experienced.  They are experts at things that we are only beginning to understand.  Every day, we are surrounded by this remarkable source of knowledge.  Imagine how remarkable it would be if we took the time to stop, sit down and ask questions.  What would happen if we invited these people to share with us their years of memories and if we truly listened?

I’m blessed to have all four of my grandparents still living.  I’m amazed at all that they have lived through with such grace: breast cancer, painful deaths of loved ones, surgeries, military service, raising children and grandchildren and seeing the world around them change completely.

I think of how my dad’s father, “Pa”, left college on weekends to go home to take care of his mother, who was in excruciating pain and dying of cancer in a time before modern treatments and pain control.  Wanting to give his dad a break, he selflessly endured the heartbreak of trying to comfort his suffering mother, something that reminds me to be a faithful caretaker of those I love.

How my dad’s mother, “Mamma Ginny”, one of seven children, had the courage to leave home and get a college education in a time when that wasn’t the norm for women.  She was the first in her family to get a college education, helping give me the bravery to go so far away to Michigan.

How my mom’s dad, “Papa”, can always find the perfect way to put things in perspective for me.  He lightens my load whether taking my hands and dancing with me in the kitchen (with or without music), or telling me to “just let it go” with his newly coined phrase,  “Oh, hashtag”, that he created after hearing my brother and I talking about Twitter.


How my mom’s mother, “Grandma”, has made her whole life about serving other people and God.  She gives fully of all she has, whether a fresh-baked pie or hours of time, and does so with a true joy and an invitation for me to learn how to truly give and do the same. 

Although not everyone still has grandparents living, everyone has older people in their lives who have so much wisdom to share.  Many of the elderly people in my church or community have impacted who I am.

I think of Dr. Roberta Rice, who served overseas as a missionary surgeon in a time when women simply didn’t do that.  A few years ago, I interviewed her about her experiences and was shocked by the beauty, intensity and boldness of the stories she had to tell, of the memories she shared.  

Reverand Thorton Hawkins, who sends me a card every year on my birthday, reminding me to remember to thank my mom on my birthday, without whom I wouldn’t have this day to celebrate.  He sends beautiful poetry and thoughtful letters to me regularly and even gave me a very special guardian angel that I carry with me, reminding me how he is, in a lot of ways, my own guardian angel.  

Mary Louise Spain, who even though I moved away from her seven or eight years ago, traveled to Asheville to see me perform in many shows and concerts and continues to travel on go on the kind of adventures I dream of one day having. 

Charlie David, a celebrated veteran of the stage in his eighties who made a return performance, playing grandfather Arvide to my Sarah Brown character in GUYS AND DOLLS last year. He reduced me to tears as he sang to me every night onstage about all of the happiness he wished for me in my life and is a dear friend of mine to this day.  

Virginia Byers, who sends me letters written in beautiful, swirling cursive print reminding me of how precious I am to her and to God.  She sends me lists of quotes and scriptures that always end up hanging over my desk where I can be reminded of what’s really important.

These are only a few of so many incredible older people who have touched my life in a way that I will never forget.  I have been blessed by those who have embraced me and taken the time to love, encourage and teach me.  

It is remarkable and humbling to think of all the wisdom the older generations around us have to impart.  I believe that if we take the initiative to ask and the patience to listen, we will find that they are more than happy to share their own life adventures with us.  It is a gift to us to be able to sit in their presence and gather wisdom and to let them know that their stories matter to us while we’re blessed enough to still have them here. 

Who in your life has stories and lessons to share? How will you find the time and space in a busy world to listen while there is still time?

Christina Maxwell is a college freshman at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan majoring in Musical Theatre. Originally from Asheville , North Carolina, Christina was a participant in the Distinguished Young Women program and was selected as the Distinguished Young Woman of North Carolina for 2012 and the Distinguished Young Woman of America for 2012. Learn more about Christina here!

Cal Maxwell, The Most Distinguished Brother in America - by Christina

During the Distinguished Young Women national finals, the first question I was asked in my interview was, “What has your younger brother, Cal, taught you?”.  Now, anyone who has ever met my brother probably knows what a stud, star athlete and gentleman Cal is. After all, he was dubbed by one of my friends, Cissi Denton, as the most distinguished brother in America.

Growing up, we created adventures together, taping paper streamers to a ceiling fan, turning it on high and pretending we were trying to survive a tornado.  We duked out arguments sparked by my sass and his stubbornness.  Today, we still navigate adventures together, like when one morning on the way to school, I ignored his warnings about my speed and accidentally mowed down a massive flowerpot and uprooted all of the plants in our garden.  Today, we have become the best of friends. 

So, when I was asked what I had learned from my little brother, I remembered just how much I look up to my little brother, for many reasons other than our height difference.

He is one of my biggest fans
Throughout most recent years, Cal graciously sat through over 40 of my musical performances, 25 chorus concerts and seven nights of Distinguished Young Women programs.  He even made a cameo performance in my senior benefit concert, stealing the show.  At the Distinguished Young Women national finals, he was so nervous for me the night that I did my talent performance that he couldn’t eat anything all day, a big deal for a teenage guy.  No one cheers louder for me than my little brother does, and recognizing his deep voice screaming out “Christinuuuuhhhh!” always lifts me up.

He’s also one of my toughest critics
Although he’s my biggest fan, Cal is also one of my toughest critics.  Whenever I want an honest, not sugar-coated opinion, (and even when I don’t) Cal is there to give it.  Whether he’s evaluating one of my peach cobblers, performances, outfits or fitness routines, he isn’t afraid to speak the truth.  After seeing my fitness routine at my local Distinguished Young Women program, he patted me on the back, said, “You struggled a little there, didn’t you, honey?” and said it was time we went into training, during which, he whipped me into shape.

He reminds me how to be a kid
I oftentimes take things too seriously and Cal is always quick to tell me to lighten up. He has a refreshing outlook on life that turns failures or disappointments into comedic moments.  He isn’t afraid to laugh at me when I crack on a note, and he has taught me how to laugh at myself too.  Together, we can go back to being kids again, spending hours in late-night laughter as we watch The Office or Betty White’s Off Their Rockers.

He doesn’t need a spotlight to be a leader
Cal serves as a leader in everything he does even without being asked, whether through his mad skills and loyalty on his basketball team, fearlessness and enthusiasm on Wilderness Trail (a backpacking organization) or his commitment to his morals and faith.  He never asks for acknowledgement and leads with a humility that is rare today.  Like all guys growing up, he faces challenges.  Yet, he opts out from complaining.  I am always amazed by the way he bears all things with a quiet determination, simply working harder.

He is one of the bravest people I know
At first glance, you don’t realize what Cal once lived through with fierce bravery.  Yet, if you look at him in the right light, you can see a scar etched into his forehead, stretching from his hair-line to his eye-brow.  Ten years ago, when Cal was only five years old, my family was in a car wreck.  On the way home from my grandparents house, both my brother and I were supposed to be in the car, but I had randomly decided last minute to stay an extra day with my grandparents, although my bags were already packed.  On the way home, Cal and my parents stopped to eat dinner and Cal asked if, for once, he could sit on the side of the car I always sat on – behind my dad.  For some reason, my dad suggested he sit in the middle, the best of both worlds. 

Hours later, after a dusk rainstorm, a dimly lit, slow moving feed truck pulled into the road, causing my dad to slam on the brakes.  The SUV spun, slammed into the back of the steel bedded truck and rolled over before landing in a ditch.  On impact, all the windows in the vehicle shattered, sending glass flying through the SUV. Cal was struck in the face, causing a major head injury so deep that it exposed his skull and damaged, they initially feared, his left eye.  The left side of the car was crushed from slamming into the truck. It was so compacted that my dad could barely get out of the driver’s seat and suffered a spinal injury. The area behind my dad, where I normally sat and Cal wanted to sit, took the brunt of the impact.  If either my brother or I had been seated on that side of the car, we would have most likely been killed. 

There were many miracles that night, as people appeared out of nowhere in the darkness following the wreck, including an Emergency Medical Technician who saw the accident as he was returning home from another accident, and an optometrist, who just happened upon the wreckage scene soon after to see if he could help. He looked at Cal and assured my mom and dad that Cal hadn’t lost his eye. 

Later, under the skilled hands of a plastic surgeon, who miraculously happened to be on call at this particular hospital that night, Cal endured hours of painful waiting, shots, and more than 60 stitches to put his face back together.  All the while, selfless as always, he assured my heartbroken dad, that the accident wasn’t his fault.  Just a little boy then, he was brave and understanding beyond his years.  As usual, he was able to create laughter and humanity in the midst of hurt.  When my dad explained that they would wait until the next morning, rent a car and drive the rest of the way home, Cal asked quietly, “Dad?  Do you think it would be ok if mom drives home?”         

As the years pass and blur this memory like a black and white photograph, it becomes easier to forget that I almost lost my little brother.  Without Cal by my side, I don’t know how I would’ve survived those paper streamer tornadoes, the anticipation of Santa’s arrival every Christmas Eve, the killer fitness routines or the disappointment I first feel whenever I mess up.  I will never cease to be grateful to God for watching over my little brother and giving him all of these years to share more of his heart with the rest of the world.

Christina Maxwell is a college freshman at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan majoring in Musical Theatre. Originally from Asheville , North Carolina, Christina was a participant in the Distinguished Young Women program and was selected as the Distinguished Young Woman of North Carolina for 2012 and the Distinguished Young Woman of America for 2012. Learn more about Christina here!

How to Spot a Southerner Anywhere - by Christina

A few months after I arrived in Michigan, I met some new friends at dinner in the dining hall: two hilarious and charming guys from England.  Upon my saying all of six or seven words, they put down their utensils and asked with wonder, as if they may have just found a golden ticket, “Wait.  Are you from the South?!” When I said that I was, they bubbled over with questions, hardly able to contain their excitement and spending the rest of dinner grilling me with sincere and outrageous questions about the South.  I filled them in on the countless stories chronicling a life in the South, from Southern comfort food cooked by grandmas with a good dose of butter, advice and sass to “ride your tractor to school day” (yes, that was a real thing at my high school) to coon hunting (hunting raccoons).  


“So people really spit around you and ride tractors?  It sounds like an absolute paradise!”, they remarked with electric fascination and a gleeful gush of laughter at the thought of it all.  


No matter where I go, someone nearly always manages to remark, “You’re from the South, aren’t you?” with a knowing smile within seconds of meeting me.  At first, I was puzzled by this!  How could a complete stranger realize immediately that I’m a transplant from the South, y’all?  Okay, maybe it could be that I had already broken out my tri-climate parka while it was still “balmy” by Northern standards…  But, now that I am well into my second semester at The University of Michigan, I have picked up on some of the big differences between here and my Southern homeland of sweet tea, cow pastures and rocking chairs that I love so much.  Here are a few of the things, though majorly generalized, that are dead giveaways of a Southerner and will help you spot one anywhere.

• We don’t say “pop”

Outside of the South, anything from Coke to Root Beer to Sprite is called “pop”.  This was a totally new term for me.  In the South, we call “pop” by several names: “soda”, “soft drinks” or just plain “coke”.  Also, we happen to have the very best soft drink in the world, Cheerwine, which people elsewhere have never had the privilege of drinking.  They’re also missing out on Chick-fil-a and Krispy Kreme doughnuts.

• We say “yes ma’am” “no sir” and “excuse me”

In the South, learning to always say “yes ma’am” and “no sir” and “excuse me” are as essential as learning how to dress yourself.   

• We monogram everything

This is a big one.  The first time I wore a monogrammed sweatshirt in Michigan, someone came up to me and stopped with a look of confusion and then laughed and said, “Oh, haha for a second there I thought you had your initials on your sweatshirt!  Ha!”… A monogram is a design with your initials that can be put on absolutely anything to make it quintessentially Southern.  Your first name initial comes first, your last name initial is in the middle in a larger font and your middle name initial comes last.  Anything and everything can be monogrammed- towels, laundry bags, walls, car decals, rings, phone cases, sweatshirts, anything.  I even have monogrammed stickers that go on my toes over nail polish.

• Manners are an art form

There is a definite difference in Southern manners.  Southern manners stem out of Southern hospitality, one of our trademarks.  We usually apologize and say “excuse me” if we bump into someone, even if it was completely the other person’s fault.  Another example of these manners is that if you’re eating with a group of people, you never touch your food until every single person has received their food.

• We are the home of the Southern Gentleman

First of all, I am not saying that men who aren’t from the South can’t be charming and treat a lady correctly.  Yet, meet a good old Southern boy in a bow tie who holds the door for any young or old lady attempting to walk through it, knows his manners, pulls out a lady’s chair for her to sit in and sticks to the principle “ladies first” and you’ll know what I mean.  

• We say “y’all” and “bless your heart”

The use of “y’all” is probably one of the most prevalent give-aways of a Southerner.  This is a contraction of the words “you” and “all” and is used to refer to any group of two or more people.  Another famous phrase is “bless your heart”.  This can be used in many circumstances, but is often used as a part of the manners issue we discussed earlier.  It can be inserted in place of any unpleasant thought you may have about someone, replacing words your momma would tell you are better kept to yourself with a sweet-sounding Southern phrase.    

• We cook for comfort

In the South, the key ingredient in just about any Southern dish is butter.  Paula Dean has not led you wrong.  All you’ve heard about sweet tea, green beans, creamed corn, mashed potatoes, fried chicken and anything else you can fry, put fat-back (fat from pork) in or slather in butter, is true.


Even with all of the things I love about the South, I have come to love Michigan as well as a second home.  It has given me incredible new friends from across the country, beautiful snow that is falling outside of my window right now, fall football games in the Big House and my dream school.  Meeting people with different roots is one of the great adventures of going away from home and has brought a new spice to my life.

Christina Maxwell is a college freshman at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan majoring in Musical Theatre. Originally from Asheville , North Carolina, Christina was a participant in the Distinguished Young Women program and was selected as the Distinguished Young Woman of North Carolina for 2012 and the Distinguished Young Woman of America for 2012. Learn more about Christina here!

At the End of the Rainbow - by Christina

I recently took a wonderful trip to Mobile, Alabama, the home of Distinguished Young Women.  I was there for nearly a week, taking part in the Go Daddy.com bowl game events and speaking and performing as the national representative at various events.  It was an incredible week full of memories that I will continue to cherish.  However, two moments in particular have become a source of inspiration.

I had just finished talking to a large group of girl scouts about setting goals and how I achieved the goal of becoming the Distinguished Young Woman of America.  At the end of my talk, I shared with them my dream of becoming a Broadway actress and sang “Over the Rainbow” for them.  Then I invited anyone who had any questions for me to come to the front. 

A miniature mob of little girls, with their sparkly scrunchies and light-up shoes, crowded around the edge of the stage.  Their questions warmed my heart.  The first little girl asked in a tone of wonder, “How do you get your hair to curl like that?”.  Another little girl asked, “How did you become so beautiful?”.  After a stream of adorable questions, the last little girl asked a question that caught me off guard.  With a very serious expression, she said, “I was just wondering, is there reallya pot of gold at the end of every rainbow?”.

My heart was completely melted at her unabashed sincerity and her authentic desire to know if life was really as good as stories and favorite songs made it seem.

Earlier that week, another child had left me speechless and in tears.  I made a trip with the football players from the Go Daddy.com bowl game to a Mobile hospital to deliver toys and encouragement to children in the hospital. 

One particular little girl was in the ICU, only ten years old, but with a beautiful heart full of selflessness and contagious joy that fought its way through the obvious sadness like a determined daisy shooting its stem up through a crack in the gray sidewalk.  This little girl insists on saying a prayer for anyone who comes into her room.  And sure enough, after we had visited and laughed with this spunky and bubbly girl, she held our hands and prayed for us.  From her hospital bed, hooked up to all kinds of tubes, she prayed a beautiful and sincere prayer, asking for strength and courage for the football players, medicine to make us well and thanking God that we were his children.  Reduced to tears, I couldn’t even speak.  This little girl, burdened with so much at such a young age, exhibited courage, unwavering joy and compassion that we are not familiar with.

What is it about children that allows them to feel so deeply and be so free with their questions, advice and joy?  I remember when I was little, how I was so enraptured by the new and bright world around me that I couldn’t force myself to take a nap for fear that I would miss something.  I would dress up as Snow White and sing to the woodland creatures I imagined living in our yard.  I wasn’t afraid to tell people what I thought or to be loving and perhaps overly friendly to strangers.  My parents told me a story about how one Sunday at church when I was very young, I sat next to an older lady who was patient and sweet to my fidgety little brother.  After church, I wrote her a note that said, “I met a nice lady in church today and it was you”.

My acting teacher recently gave all of us students a piece of advice that has stuck with me.  In her wisdom and goodness, she said, “It is important that we remember to check in with our five-year-old selves every now and then.”  I believe that she is right. 

What happens as we grow up that causes that child-like wonder to fade?  Where along the line do we let our insatiable appetite for life and love, merry abandonment and our ability to dream wildly be extinguished?  As we grow up, reality sometimes takes a toll on us.  We realize that there aren’t always fairy godmothers to remind us that we are the belles of the ball rather than someone who deserves to be hidden in a corner of cinders.  Young men aren’t always kind-hearted and handsome princes and sometimes the pot of gold you had hoped was at the end of the rainbow isn’t there. 

Yet, in times of inevitable disappointment, I think it is wise to follow my teacher’s advice and see what our five-year-old selves would have done.  I think it is when we can face grown-up trials and tragedies with a child-like heart, full of stubborn resiliency and unwavering belief in undeniable good, that we have truly grown up … and miracles happen.

Christina Maxwell is a college freshman at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan majoring in Musical Theatre. Originally from Asheville , North Carolina, Christina was a participant in the Distinguished Young Women program and was selected as the Distinguished Young Woman of North Carolina for 2012 and the Distinguished Young Woman of America for 2012. Learn more about Christina here!