Ava Breshears is the daughter of Mackenzi Foster. Throughout high school, she worked at Country Charm and the Fix. “Balancing school and work helped me build strong time management and communication skills,” she said. Breshears worked with life-skills students for three years. “These experiences helped me develop patience, understanding and leadership skills and ultimately created my passion for becoming a life – skills teacher.” Her future plans are to attend Western Governors University while working as a paraprofessional in life skills classrooms. “I can support students in building independence, confidence and essential daily living skills. Breshears has high hopes for a healthy future. “At my 10- year reunion, I hope to be in remission from my CRPS and be able to do and experience the things I wasn’t able to fully experience in high school, embracing life with more freedom, health and gratitude. Her biggest achievement in high school was, “Not letting my illness define me. Something I also am very proud of is the fact that I relearned how to walk and wear socks and shoes.” Advice she’d give to a younger student is, “Never underestimate your own growth, even when things feel difficult or uncertain. You don’t have to be perfect to be successful, what matters the most is showing up, trying your best and learning from your mistakes. Be patient with yourself, and don’t be afraid to believe in what you’re capable of becoming.”