About Me

Your first day of school is one of the most nerve-wracking moments of your life. Now, imagine you are a 10-year-old girl considered “morbidly obese”, walking into a classroom full of smaller boys and girls. Yup that’s me, Emmalea Beck, the “fat” 10-year-old.

 Life is never easy being the fat kid, especially when you are also the tallest kid in your class. The eyes immediately go you and never seem to look away. Being 10 years old and in 5^thgrade was the hardest age, “well for me at least.” I would get told I was fat, ugly, a horse, and that I should kill myself, all at the age of 10!

So, what came from this?

Well, if you would have asked me this a few years ago, I would say I was ruthless. If I felt anyone was making fun of me or being rude, I would attack, “verbally of course.” This all stemmed from self-confidence and motivation, or lack thereof. I never felt good enough, I always felt the “eyes” on me. When I say eyes, I mean all the people “I thought” were staring at me in the gym.

So how did I go from a ruthless teen with an attitude to this 22-year-old with a walk that can stop a crowd?

It was not easy. Let’s begin with the start of college, “I didn’t mature until then – I know sad.” Choosing Waynesburg University was a good yet bad decision looking back. In the beginning, I wanted to be the sports broadcaster that everyone could trust. Quickly, I learned that broadcasting was FULL of judgment.  As we know by now, I hate judgment. So, I decided to choose another path, Investigative Journalist. I would have the thrill of talking to the “bad guys” and get one of a kind stories. Then I found out I would most likely have to move to another area in order to get a decent paying job. When I was told this I thought, “who could leave their amazing mother that bakes amazing cookies?”

NEXT!

After three years, I finally found my calling, Social Media Content Writer. This is something I felt my confidence rise and found the motivation to wake up every day to do. I love to create thumb stoppers and promote amazing events that a business or company is hosting. I spent three long months working for the Community Foundation of Greene County as an Intern in 2018. This is how I found my passion. I had the opportunity to reconstruct their social media and give it life again. I had full creative freedom to do what I found best. I would have never found my calling if I didn’t take the risk and apply for the position. Looking back, I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t make a lot of my decision.

Some of those decisions where:

• Standing up for myself
• Getting a gym membership
• Getting involved in sports
• Seeing a counselor
• Learning to look in the mirror and say “You are beautiful”

The last year so far has been great. But of course, there are the regrets.

Why was Waynesburg a bad decision?

I wasted more of my life worrying about what the next person would say about my major than I did following my gut. I constantly wanted to please everyone else. Just like those kids that called the fat 10-year-old a horse. Waynesburg did not have a social media program, so I had it in my head that it was not a career. It was not until I did my own self-reflection and research that I found it is a career, and it is something with my name written all over it.

In this career, you can’t be scared to be annoying or pushy. Keeping consistent is key to winning that dream job. I sat down and spoke with Lindsay Palmer, the campus event director for Big Dream Gathering, and she said it perfectly.

“You will not get where you want in life by sitting behind a screen sending your resume. You have to be that person that comes to the office or goes to events. The face to face connection is key.”

If you would have told me this a few years ago, I would run as far as possible just so I didn’t have to see anyone in person. Once again, that fear of judgment took over my future. What people say is not important and I wish I would have believed that when I was the fat 10-year-old.

Let’s try this again…

It is your first day of 5^thgrade and you realize you are the fattest kid in class. Your teacher asks you to write down what you are going to be when you grow up. Most kids would say they want to be a firefighter or an astronaut. But that fat kid writes how they “don’t want a job,” and would rather “live at home.” Twenty-two years later that kid is the same kid sitting here writing this for you. Just by finding out what I was meant to do in this short life we have, was a stress reliever. Finding something I am good at making me feel like no one could judge me, yet, I don’t care because I know what I am doing is my passion.

Going from the ruthless teen to the confident young women resulted from finding my passion and getting the confidence I want everyone to have. That’s why I am sitting here. I don’t want you to become ruthless and waste your time trying to please people. Don’t worry about what other kids have to say to you because in the long run, none of those kids matter, especially years down the road.  This is where this site is here to help. I will be your daily reminder to believe in yourself and motivate you to be the BEST you. Everyone needs a reminder of how awesome that is, I know I did when I was at my lowest point.