Francine Menko

Beyond Beauty

Alyssa, my middle child, was never an introvert, but during her freshman year of high school I noticed a change in her. She became reluctant to try new things, experience new places and even struggled with making phone calls to people she didn’t know. She was moody and often cried. Although her grades were exceptional, she started to struggle with playing the sports that she had been participating in since the age of five. She eventually quit basketball and softball, and remained a bench warmer for soccer, while limiting herself to throwing discus and javelin for track for field.