The constant bullying started in kindergarten. I was a gifted, chubby kid and my classmates made fun of how smart I was. They would shoot staples from mechanical pencils and aim them at my eyes, saying.
You’re so ugly. You should go blind and we’re doing you a favor.
One of the worst episodes happened in the 4th grade, on my 9th birthday. I was awarded top performer and got to be Teacher for the Day. The kids physically surrounded me and screamed at me. I regretted that award.
The next day, my mom pulled me out of the school.
You would think that changing schools would solve the problem but it just introduced me to a new batch of bullies.
The negativity was demoralizing. Confusing. And isolating. I just wanted to be liked. Why didn’t people like me?
I developed the chameleon personality bullied kids are known for: constantly adapting to the people around you because you want to be liked.
No idea who I was, I tried to be what I thought I was supposed to be and played the role of perfect daughter, student, and sibling.
Bound and determined to succeed, I powered through independent study in high school, moved to Oregon from California, got a job, put myself through college, was a peer mentor, did my 4-year degree in 3 years, won an internship at Nike, and have proved myself in succeeding roles ever since.
The moment I knew I made it was in 2019 when I won Nike’s “Just Do It!“ award. In a life where I always felt invisible, I felt seen and recognized on a global level. It was insane. My face was on the side of a building!
That year, I had set a goal to just be me, unapologetically. F*** it! I’ m just going to be me and see what happens. And then, Boom! I won the award for being me. It’s the most satisfying award I’ve ever won because my bosses wrote about me as a person. Not just how smart I am. Not just that I can deliver. It meant the world to me and gave me the confidence to keep being myself.
Rebecca Dallas has spent her career in digital commerce and has been Director Digital Commerce Planning at Nike since 2020. She is an expert at managing cross-functional teams while working within ambiguous and high-pressure situations.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebeccadallas/