When Emily-Anne Rigal was in elementary school, she was bullied for being overweight so severely that she had to transfer schools. But with this change came another unanticipated transformation: she went from being the bullied to the bully. The messages she had received (being fat = no good) compelled her to treat others poorly in an unconscious effort to make others feel bad about themselves too.

Thankfully, by surrounding herself with positive peers that accepted her for who she was, Emily-Anne began to accept herself and those around her—and she did something extraordinary. Inspired by her experiences, she founded the non-profit WeStopHate.org to help others share their experiences with bullying by posting videos to YouTube and help foster good “teen esteem.” In the process, her organization garnered nearly 1 million views and the support of Meryl Streep, Lady Gaga, Whitney Port, and Josie Loren, among others. As teens across the country head back to school, it is the perfect time for a discussion on how to combat bullying and increase understanding and tolerance on American campuses.
The founder of WeStopHate.org, EMILY-ANNE RIGAL is one of Newsweek’s “150 Most Fearless Women in the World.” She is a recipient of the Peace First Prize in partnership with Family Circle magazine presented by America Ferrera, and recipient of the Nickelodeon H.A.L.O. (Helping and Leading Others) Award presented to her by one of her chief supporters, Lady Gaga. She is an activist, speaker, YouTube personality, and media darling who counts everyone from Lady Gaga to Meryl Streep to Dove’s Global Self-Esteem Ambassador among her thousands of supporters, mentors, and fans. She has appeared on TODAY, Good Morning America, MSBNC, MTV and many others. Rigal resides in VA and currently attends Barnard College of Columbia University in NYC.