To Those Who Refuse to Dim Their Light

Like a butterfly emerging from its chrysalis, your transformation was never meant to be a quiet affair. Your journey is not an apology—it is a celebration. The world will sometimes ask you to fold your wings, to become smaller, to make space for their comfort. But your wings were made for flight, for color, for movement. You are not responsible for the way that your growth journey makes other people feel. Let that weight slip from your shoulders like morning dew from a leaf.

Growth as Illumination

Your evolution is as brilliant and undeniable as the rising sun. Yes, it will cast light into the shadows of others’ unexamined fears. Watch how they react: discomfort ripples across still waters—the triggers, the put-downs, the belittling words, falling like stones meant to disturb your reflection. You might think, “I need to retreat. I need to tone it down. I need to pull myself back. I can’t shine quite this bright.”

But remember: the world needs your brightness. Dimming your own light only robs those searching for hope. Like a star dimming itself, you’d be denying the world your true radiance. See their resistance not as a warning, but as a signpost: “That’s proof that I’m doing something right.”

From Brazil to the Classroom: My Journey

I know this because I’ve lived it. I grew up in Brazil, my heart beating to the rhythm of samba and saudade, learning how to find my place in a world that didn’t always look—or sound—like me. When I first arrived in the United States, I was not just learning a new language—I was rewriting the story of who I was. There were days when I felt the sting of being misunderstood, the urge to shrink so others might feel more comfortable, and the quiet hope that someone would see me, not just as “the ESL kid,” but as a whole, radiant person.

A Community of Courage

That’s why I created theboyfrombrazil.org: to gather stories of courage, growth, and integrity. This is a space where multilingual students and educators alike are reminded—your voice and your light matter. Here, we share not just the victories, but the vulnerabilities: the first mispronounced word, the essay written with trembling hands, the brave question asked in class, and the friendships formed across continents.

A Letter to You, Unfurling Your Wings

So, to you, standing at the edge of your own transformation, I say:

Let yourself be seen. Let your wings unfurl. Do not apologize for your brilliance or your journey. For every person who shields their eyes from your light, there are others waiting—hoping—to be illuminated by your courage to grow.

Shine on. The world needs every color of your wings.