At just 17 years old, Kailie is already leaving her mark in more ways than one. A high school junior at Biomed Science Academy, Kailie is a member of Davinda's Teen Team. This isn't just any team – it’s a safe, supportive space where girls from freshmen to juniors can come together, express themselves, and build lasting friendships. As a member of the Dream Team, Kailie takes on the important role of making the new girls feel comfortable and included, helping them navigate their way through the modeling experience. But there's so much more to Kailie than just her role on the Teen Team.
A Teen with a Heart for her Family
When asked what makes Kailie her, she immediately points to her deep love for her family. Kailie is incredibly close with her family – particularly her three older stepsisters, who have been a source of guidance and support. “I’m really close to my 3 stepsisters because they’re older than me, and they always have really good advice,” she explains.
Kailie’s has a passion for working with children and plans to pursue early childhood education after high school. She dreams of becoming a preschool or kindergarten teacher. Her love for working with kids goes back to when her niece was born in 2019. “That’s when I really realized that I wanted to go into early childhood education,” Kailie explains. “I’ve always had a strong passion to work with kids, and seeing my niece grow and learn made me want to help other kids do the same.”
The Reality of Words: A Personal Battle
“I like to think I’m a happy, positive person who loves to see others happy,” she says. But beneath that bright smile and uplifting spirit, like many high schoolers, Kailie has faced her fair share of hurtful words. “The bullying situation I went through was a really hard time for me,” she says, recalling the moment she learned about nasty messages being sent about her at school. The emotional weight of these words was a heavy burden, especially for someone already struggling with self-confidence. She tried to brush them off, convincing herself they didn’t matter, but deep down, they did.
What sets Kailie apart is how she handled it. Kailie refused to let negativity define her. Instead of allowing the hurt to consume her, she channeled her pain into strength. She surrounded herself with supportive friends, focused on her passions, and made it her mission to spread kindness.
“I don’t want anyone else to feel the way I did,” she says. Instead of letting those words define her, she chose to rise above them. “Even though it was hurtful, I knew that I couldn’t let the person behind it see that it was affecting me,” she says. “I wanted to be the bigger person in this situation.”
Kailie understood something many of us don’t realize until later in life. As Mel Robbins writes in Let Them, “People will have negative opinions about you, and there's absolutely nothing you can do to change this fact. Let them. Let them judge, let them have bad thoughts, let them talk about me behind my back.”
Kailie took the power back and gave herself permission to live happily, freely, and on her own terms regardless of what anybody else thought of it.
Just like the bullies who hide behind their words, there’s always the choice to not let them control your narrative. Kailie shares what advice she’d give someone experiencing the same kind of bullying. "I would tell them that even though it hurts a lot, and it’s not fun to go through, everything will be okay. You are so loved."
Creating a Safe Space: Words That Build, Not Break
One of the most impactful aspects of Kailie’s journey is the support she received from her friends. It wasn’t the negative words that stuck with her, but the kind, encouraging words of her closest friends like Jess, Liz, Ellie, Rachel, and Pryce. These are the people who helped Kailie rebuild her confidence when it was shattered by hurtful words. “They would always know just what to say and make me smile,” she recalls. High school can be tough, but Kailie has found comfort in the support system she’s built. “Now that I’ve found some of my best friends, it has really helped me. My friends are always here for me and are so much fun to be around,” she adds.
One friendship that stands out in particular is her bond with Jessie, who Kailie has been best friends with since birth. “That queen always knows how to make me smile,” Kailie says with a smile of her own.
This highlights a powerful truth: surrounding yourself with people who speak life into you can be the antidote to the poison of hurtful words. Whether in high school or later in life, we all need to find our people—the ones who will stand by us, lift us up, and remind us that the words of a bully don’t define who we are.
The Teen Team Experience
For Kailie, her circle of friends, along with the positivity of her role on the Teen Team, played an essential role in helping her develop the confidence to face the challenges thrown her way. “Teen Team has helped me come out of my comfort zone so much, and it’s made me love myself for who I really am,” Kailie shares. “It’s such a positive environment where you can just be yourself, and everyone will love you for that.”. Being part of a group that prioritizes kindness, and positivity gave her a safe place to grow and learn to love herself, flaws and all, no matter what any bully had to say.
Being on the Teen Team has also allowed Kailie to meet amazing new people. “My favorite memories have been just meeting so many new people that are amazing. I love getting to know all of the girls and making new friends!”
Words Can Heal
Kailie’s message of resilience and hope speaks to the power of words—not just those that hurt, but those that heal. Words can be a force for good, and when we choose to speak kindness to others, we contribute to creating a more positive environment for everyone. Kailie’s advice to anyone facing bullying is simple yet profound: be the bigger person and let the words that come out of your mouth or keyboard reflect the love and compassion you want to see in the world. So go ahead, tell another girl she's a queen!!! It doesn't make your own crown any less shiny.
"Words have the power to hurt or to heal, to break down or to build up," as we’ve said before. And Kailie embodies this in every step of her journey. Whether it's through the encouragement she gives to new girls joining the Teen Team, or the way she lifts up her friends during hard times, Kailie’s actions show us that words matter. They don’t just have the power to tear us down—they can also be the foundation of the most beautiful, supportive communities.
So, the next time you find yourself in a moment of hurt or witnessing someone else endure cruelty, remember Kailie's words: You are loved, and you don’t have to let anyone’s negativity control your story. Surround yourself with people who build you up, and make sure your words are ones that heal, not hurt.
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