2024 – Hailey Jamison – Bountiful HS

My mother tells me that when I was a child, I preferred wearing skirts and dresses to pants. Nobody thought anything of it, until I started growing and what started as a preference turned into a need. Wearing many different types of clothing became my own personal torture. This included everyday items such as socks, shorts, and coats. It soon got to the point, my clothing was preventing me from functioning in every day life.

In third grade, my parents decided to take me to an occupational therapist in hopes of easing this burden. While I was able to make great improvements with a therapist and am now able to wear socks and warm clothes, it was concluded that my sensory disorder was too severe in my legs and it would take much longer to get to the point that I would be able to wear pants. My parents decided to stop the treatment. While I was relieved that I did not have to go to occupational therapy anymore, some part of me was upset that I couldn’t be “normal” like my friends without being in pain.

I still continue to wear skirts everyday, but I have now come to the realization that this sensory disorder is a trial that has helped me understand myself. I cope through my resiliency and optimism. I have proven to myself multiple times over that no matter what challenges I face, or what social norms are for a situation, wearing a skirt does not make me any less capable or strong. I have proven to myself that I can persevere and face my challenges even if the solution is not the obvious one.