The crowd erupts in laughter as senior Presley Tworek drops to all fours and portrays an animalistic style trying to get the attention of the attractive men. Wearing a white and blue striped swimming top and white shorts, Tworek plays Marvel Ann, the blonde bombshell teenager on a manhunt to find a boyfriend. As she dazzles the audience with her poise and seductive performance, little do they know about Tworek’s introspective journey toward self-confidence. 

Tworek has a red birthmark on the right side of her face. Growing up, Tworek was subjected to bullying due to her birthmark, which caused many insecurities. 

When Tworek began middle school, the bullying intensified, people would ask what was wrong with her, or make rude comments like saying the birthmark looked weird. 

“Growing up with it [bullying] was worse in middle school because it was a bunch of kids I’ve never met before,” Tworek said. “So they’re like, ‘What the frick happened to her face?’ And I used to be really insecure about it.”

Tworek felt like she had to hide her birthmark from people, making sure they wouldn’t see it. She started using makeup around seventh grade to cover it up. 

“My brain tells me that it [the birthmark] is ugly,” Tworek said. “Unfortunately, I started using makeup in seventh grade. I’m not sure why actually; I just started wearing it. It got me into a bad habit of wearing it all the time. I am slowly trying to stray away from it.”

As Tworek explored her interests in high school, she eventually found her calling in the drama department. By her sophomore year, she proved her acting skills to ultimately land major and supporting roles, showcasing her talent and dedication to the world. While Tworek gained confidence on stage, she gradually became more comfortable with her body and her birthmark. 

“I learned to embrace my birthmark around sophomore year,” Tworek said. “It was really hard to learn to love it for a while. Now I know it is a part of me and it is beautiful.”

Now when students and audience see Tworek on stage, they don’t see her red birthmark under her makeup. Instead, they see her amazing performance shine through the entire theater.

“I realized that life is too short to care about small things like that –  things that can’t change,” Tworek said. “I’m older and wiser, and I don’t care what anybody thinks. I learned to embrace it, especially because it’s unique.”