Eventually, I won the right to attend school, but the prejudice was still there.

Because of the lack of education on AIDS, discrimination, fear, panic, and lies surrounded me.

I believe in myself as I look forward to graduating from Hamilton Heights High School in 1991.

Listening to medical facts was not enough. People wanted one hundred percent guarantees.

I came face to face with death at thirteen years old.

I received thousands of letters of support from all around the world, all because I wanted to go to school.

Most recently my battle has been against AIDS and the discrimination surrounding it.