Do certain words bring you down?  Do other people make you feel insecure?  Kate Guardado (11) is one of the students with the brightest smiles and best mindsets you will ever encounter. I got a chance to sit down with her and discuss the secrets to her positivity and strong mentality.

Kate has always been seen as a bright person. So I asked her what the secret to constantly staying happy and positive is.

“I’m Kate, I’m free spirited, as many people say. I just want to have a good time in high school, study hard, I want to make memories with the people I love. I’m very loud and I guess considerate. I care about my friends; like if people get mad at me, I would feel so bad and would immediately say ‘I’m sorry.’ I’m really sensitive when it comes to my friends because I will always stand up for my friends. I care about people and I love being happy and I love sharing it to everyone.

“I always keep my head up high, even though I feel like I am not with it. I went through tough times…I didn’t let it show…All of this stuff you are going through right now, you are going to find a reward at the end… That’s how I faced it…

Like all of us, Kate has felt the sting of criticism from others, but she doesn’t let that get her down, or let others’ words define who she is.

“To the people who know me, you know I’m like 4’11”, not even 5 feet.  I get made fun of a lot, people just play around with me because of my height. I love the way I am, even though I’m short, I love being short and there are benefits to it. I love being the way I am because it’s just me, I feel special the way I am.  Everybody has something that makes them special.

“I just don’t let anyone get to me. I have an open mind about everything. If something goes wrong with what I have been planning to do, then I quickly say, ‘Okay, maybe this was not a good idea in the first place,’ so I try to find a way out of it or try to find the positive sides to things. I don’t let what people say get into my head, I know I’m sure of myself and because of that it makes a happy person.”

In fact, Kate sees the tough experiences she has faced as a way to build her character.

“I was bullied when I was little and because of that, I learned how to make myself stronger by what everyone says about me. It makes me sure of who I am. I’m Kate, I’m short, I’m loud, I love everyone, and I’m positive with everything I do.”

Even someone as upbeat as Kate can’t always be happy in every situation.  As she says, “There are downsides to being happy, even though I am happy, I also get sad very easily. But I don’t let it get to me. I look sad and I act sad because that’s how I am sometimes but in and of itself it makes me stronger.  The quote I like to use is ‘Always be happy.’—always be happy with who you are and what you do.  Because the person who you are right now, you have to be proud of it.  Even if you’re depressed or happy, fat or skinny, tall or short, ugly or beautiful, you have to be proud of who you are because you are one of a kind.