As people pass, they can’t help but notice the girl. With worn black combat boots, writing on her arm, and purple streaks in her hair, it is hard not to. She knows what they think. She has heard their “quiet” whispers after the introductions are made:”What is she doing to her hair?” “Why would she dress like that?” “How do her parents let her write that gibberish on her arms?”. They think she is a bad student, one who skips class and smokes, a person who won’t amount to much in life. They do not know that she takes latin and spanish, is taking poetry as a class, and while not a straight A student, she does her best and gets mostly A’s. They do not know that she is looking at colleges as a sophomore. They don’t know that she is a higher ranking belt in martial arts and helps teach a younger class. They do not know that the writing on her arm, Non ducor, duco, are there to remind her that different is okay. They may stare, shake their heads, and tssk, but the girl-no young woman  holds her head high. For she will not be lead. She will lead.