Aiesha Robinson | Speaker & Teen Coach | #VITILIGO

At just 18 years old, she received a diagnosis that would change the way the world saw her — and more importantly, how she saw herself. Living with vitiligo, a skin condition that causes loss of pigment in patches, she was forced to confront societal standards of beauty and belonging in a world that often demands conformity.

But for her, the struggle with identity had begun long before the diagnosis.

“Growing up, I was the only Black kid in my grade and one of three in the entire school,” she recalls. “I always struggled with self-acceptance. To me, being white meant being privileged — it meant fitting in and not getting made fun of.”

As a child, she faced constant bullying for her race. Then, when vitiligo appeared in her late teens, her difference became visible in a new way. What once felt like an internal struggle with belonging became something she could no longer hide.

“When I turned 18 and was diagnosed with vitiligo, I had no choice but to stand out. People would stop me on the street and tell me to go to Cuba because they’d heard there was a cure. Others told me I looked like a cow, or that I was cursed.”

Those painful experiences forced her to look inward. Over time, she found that true confidence had to come from within — not from the approval of others.

“Once I accepted myself and the skin that I’m in, I no longer cared what people thought of me,” she says. “I had to develop self-love because I had no other choice.”

Her story mirrors a broader challenge faced by many young Black individuals growing up in environments where representation is limited. In high school, surrounded by more diversity, she found herself navigating another identity crisis.

“I went from wanting to be that white girl to trying to fit in as the Black girl,” she explains. “People called me an ‘Oreo’ — Black on the outside, white on the inside. I didn’t know where I belonged.”

These experiences inspired her to create Born to Rise, a nonprofit organization that provides a platform for people to share their stories of overcoming adversity.

“There’s so much power in storytelling,” she says. “We connect deeply through shared experiences. That’s why I wanted to create a safe space for people to express what they’re going through — even anonymously if they choose.”

For her, the process begins with listening.

“We need to listen with intention — not just to respond,” she emphasizes. “When young people talk about what they’re going through, it often goes much deeper than what we see on the surface.”

Before founding Born to Rise, she faced depression and self-doubt. After leaving school, she tried to pursue a degree in Human Resource Management at Concordia University, driven by her parents’ expectations.

“My parents always said, ‘You have to have a degree. You can’t get a job without one,’” she remembers. “At the time, I was working in the foreign exchange department at EMO, but the 9-to-5 life didn’t speak to me.”

Instead, she poured her energy into building something that did. Born to Rise became a reflection of her journey — transforming personal pain into empowerment for others.

“Whatever your current pain is, whatever adversity you’re facing — that’s your biggest power,” she says. “What you think is your weakness could be the very thing that helps someone else rise above their own struggle.”

Still, she admits that dropping out of school left lingering feelings of impostor syndrome.

“To this day, I still feel that lack of formal education,” she confides. “If you’re thinking about going to school — do it. Just do it. I plan to continue my education because while experience gives me a voice, education would give me the tools to go even further.”

Her story is not just about vitiligo — it’s about transformation, resilience, and redefining beauty and success on her own terms.

Through her nonprofit, her advocacy, and her willingness to be vulnerable, she continues to inspire others to rise above shame, judgment, and fear.

“It all starts from within,” she says firmly. “Self-acceptance, confidence, and love — once you have those, no one can take your light away.”