I just always loved to perform and I was lucky enough to be in front of the right people at the right time!

When I was 12, I first made the decision to go vegetarian after a co-star's line 'I don't eat anything with a face' suddenly shocked me into reality.

The more I read and watched about the meat industry, the more determined I became to keep meat out of my diet. The things I saw in slaughterhouse exposes made me feel sick and I refused to just ignore what I now knew.

For many years, I struggled with how I felt about myself. I hid and harbored very self-destructive eating issues, namely anorexia, which at its worst caused me to lose half of my hair and brought my weight down dramatically.

I encourage all of you to seek out teachers and mentors that challenge you to think for yourself and guide you to find your own voice.

If you're picking your best friend based on what kind of clothes she wears or how popular she is, chances are you aren't going to stay in touch after graduation.

I want to speak up and tell you that mascara and clothes don't make you cool, neither do name-brand handbags, but being a leader can.