On my 18th birthday, I walked into a ballroom full of balloons, music, and cameras—only to hear my sister laugh, “Surprise! I’m turning eighteen again tonight.” My mother smiled and said, “Just let her have this, honey.”

rude customers, and how to present ideas even when my voice trembled. During my second year of college, I began creating affordable formal dresses for girls who could not afford to spend hundreds on prom or graduation gowns. I uploaded videos showing how I turned thrifted dresses into beautiful designs. One video went viral after a girl burst into continue reading …