There was a time when my voice was taken from me; when my story wasn’t mine to tell. I grew up in an environment where I was silenced before I ever had the chance to speak. I endured abuse that taught me to shrink myself, bullying that made me question my worth, and prejudice from every angle as a teen mom. For much of my life, I was on my own: misunderstood, judged, and forced to fight battles no one should have to face alone.

But through it all, there was one place where I felt safe—my grandma’s garden. She raised me, loved me unconditionally, and filled my world with color, warmth, and whimsy. Her garden was a place of magic; a sanctuary where I could dream, create, and simply be. She would read me stories and remind me that I was worthy of love, no matter what the world said.

Then, when I was sent away to a horrifying troubled teen industry program as a means to further silence me, I lost her. Just four days after being taken, she passed away. The grief was unbearable, but I held onto the memories of her garden; the way it made me feel, the way it reminded me that beauty could exist even in the hardest places.

After surviving an assault, I found a single rose petal from my grandma's garden tangled in my hair. In the aftermath of something meant to break me, that petal was a quiet reminder: I was still here. I was still whole. And somehow, beauty had found its way back to me, even in the wreckage.

That rose petal became a symbol of everything I had endured—proof that no matter what was taken from me, I could and would always reclaim myself.

Flower crowns became my way of weaving those pieces back together. What started as a personal form of healing grew into something more: a way to help others see themselves as powerful, worthy, and whole.

I built a family of my own. At just 17, I married my husband—the person who had stood by me through the worst of it all. Together, we created a love that was stronger than the pain of the past. We built a life filled with love, laughter, and three incredible daughters who mean everything to me.

My daughters inspire me every single day. They are my light, my greatest joy, and the reason I continue to fight for a better world. I hope to show them that no matter where you come from, no matter what you’ve been through, you can rise, you can heal, and you can create something beautiful from the ashes.

Through Crown Your Story, I want to help others embrace their own journeys; because every battle, every triumph, every scar has meaning. Each crown is a symbol of transformation, a physical representation of the obstacles overcome and the strength that remains.

And one day, I hope to tell my story in an even bigger way. It has been my dream since I was 15 to write a book—a book that captures my truth, that sheds light on what happened, and that reminds others that they, too, can survive. I want to give a voice to those who have been silenced, to share the pain and the hope, and to show that healing is possible.

This is my story. But Crown Your Story is for all of us. Because every journey deserves to be honored. Every voice deserves to be heard. And every story deserves a crown.

Katice Ramirez