#TEAMNYLE

"Growing up, I had a few dark moments where I felt completely inauthentic. They were difficult struggles but through them I realized it was better to be myself. From then on, my career really started to come together much faster and I approached life with more ease.

To be unapologetic is to use your difference and your identity as your asset. I feel my most authentic when I'm in my community. When I'm around people that I feel have a sense of belonging. That's where I feel most at home. The deaf community gave me the strength and confidence to explore my other identities as well. To find that I was a part of the LGBTQ and really understand my place within it.

Ever day I wake up and tell myself, 'I'm here, I've made it this far.' I've achieved this by myself by being who I really am, true to my own identity. As someone who is deaf and sexually fluid, this is my world and I have to continue in it."