By Mary Barringer

We all deal with challenges. How we meet those challenges speaks volumes about who we are. Amelia Hite is already an overcomer.

Born in Carbondale, Amelia moved to Alabama when she was three, and then moved back to Mounds with her mom, step-dad, and two older sisters. Amelia also has two sisters and four brothers on her biological father’s side, one sister died before she was born in a miscarriage.

Her biological father was out of the picture, unwilling to have anything to do with her, for most of her life. Ten years ago, he attempted to reinsert himself into her life, but years of alcoholism and substance abuse ultimately led to his death in a car accident.

Sadly, her paternal grandmother will not permit any contact between Amelia and her siblings. In a case of misplaced accountability, she blames Amelia for her father’s alcoholism and death, believing his inability to deal with being a father led to his alcoholism.

Despite being told by those close to her that it wasn’t her fault,

Amelia blamed herself for her father’s death. She plunged into a deep depression that led to self-harm, cutting, and suicide attempts. She received medication and counseling until doctors ended it for reasons they thought necessary.

The transition was hard, but she met the challenge. Amelia overcame her struggle with cutting and self-harm just six months ago and made a turn for the better. She is putting herself out there, making friends. A simple conversation with someone she never thought would be a friend revealed shared experiences. Amelia now realizes that she isn’t the problem and life has more to offer than she knew.

Like many young people, Amelia developed a love of art and reading. Her art progressed from drawing stick people to painting. A freshman, she currently reads at a 10th grade level, and aspires to read at a 12th grade level. Reading, spelling, and art cultivate empathy and compassion and are directly related to our ability to interpret the world around us and express ourselves.

Amelia’s creative passions and the discovery that sometimes we need others to realize we have value has led to dreams of a bright future where she can use her experience to help others. For the immediate future Amelia wants to get a job to help her family. After high school she dreams of leaving Mounds to start a company that will help sexual assault victims. She envisions a world without racism and poverty, where victims of sexual assault get justice, and where we can all be overcomers.