SAN DIEGO (KGTV) - For a ten-year-old, winning a trophy can be a big deal.
When you see the stack Nyaih Bollinger’s got in her house, that’s just special.
"My dad was like where are we going to put these because this one's full, the upstairs is about to fall off,” Nyiah told 10News.
There’s no disagreement that when it comes to National American Miss competitions - Nyiah Bollinger's got that figured out.
According to NAM’s website competitors “gain poise, self-confidence, and valuable communication skills.
When it comes to life at school, things for Nyiah weren't always as easy.
"When I was in first grade I got bullied because they thought I was not smart,” Nyiah said. “They judged me that I had NLD and they thought it would make me dumb.
NLD stands for non-verbal learning disorder.
In grade school, anything that makes you different can make you a target.
"Is what they are saying true, and I knew myself it wasn't true,” she said.
Team 10 investigator Adam Racusin asked Nyiah if it hurts when people say that.
“Yes, it really does hurt because it feels like something sharp going to your heart and it just hurts so bad.”
Instead of closing off, Nyiah took that pain and flipped the script.
"I definitely am a victim, but I did take a stand, and I fought through what was wrong, and I became an encourager to the school,” she said.
Nyiah recorded a cell phone video of her own experiences with bullying and a call to stand up against it.
When students take that power back and advocate for each other - the experts believe that can make a major difference.
Nyiah says the bullying at her school stopped. She’s no longer a victim but an advocate.
Instead of standing apart, Nyiah and her classmates stand together hoping to inspire other children across the county to do the same.
"Take a stand do whatever you think would be right and see what happens,” she said.
