WE ARE BRIGHT PINK

Nikia
My name is Nikia, and when I was 16, a sophomore in high school, I found a lump in my breast. Not even fathoming it could be cancer – no one on either side of my family had ever suffered from the disease – I didn't think much of it. However, during a physical a short time later, my physician suggested performing a biopsy just to be sure. It turned out to be cancer, and a very aggressive form of cancer at that.
 
I was terrified. My doctors recommended a total mastectomy, but I resisted. Instead I underwent several months of radiation and other surgeries. It was just devastating. Going to school during that time was very hard. Many nights I would look in the mirror all marked up and scarred, and I felt like a monster.
 
As traumatic as it was, my cancer also gave me a resolve I never had before. Until my diagnosis, I was only an average student. But once I decided I would beat my cancer and make the most of my life, I earned straight A's and graduated fifth in my class. I became the first person in my family to go to college. But I wouldn't stop there. I eventually went on to earn an MBA from Capella University, and I am now enrolled in the PhD program at Capella in organizational management.
 
Today, at age 29, I am free from cancer, and work tirelessly to educate young women that the disease can strike at a very young age. I hope promote the importance of taking charge of your life by monitoring and maintaining your breast health.