Hello! My name is Skyler, and I’m from Arlington, Virginia. I’m 24 years old and work for the government as an analyst. Fitness and nutrition are my passions, so I have a secondary job as a personal trainer on the side. The past year has been a collection of many firsts for me. It took a long time for me to be honest with myself, especially because I grew up in a small town in rural Virginia and cone from an old school, traditional family. In August, I decided that I’d spent enough time running from the truth and came out to my parents and closest friends. Global pandemic aside, I couldn’t be happier with my decision. I expected a lot of resistance from my family, friends, roommates, and my fraternity brothers; however, I’m proud to say that I was embraced with nothing but open arms and unconditional support.

In February, I happily entered my first relationship. Just as everyone accepted me, they accepted my boyfriend just as readily. I’m sure that some day I’ll run into adversity because of my sexuality, but I know that I have the support I need to push through it. Never let your fear keep you from being true to yourself. You often never know who you might inspire by having the courage to be yourself. There’s no feeling more humbling than when someone in your friend group or family cites your story as their inspiration for coming out. Thank you, Sam, for giving people the platform for sharing their stories! Your story touches the world in more ways than you know!