My sister beats her bully.

I've shared the story of how my sister lost a college degree in its last semester because of a professor who bullied her for her dyslexia. The emotional damage of that man has haunted her for years. I can never forget how sick to my stomach I was when I heard that she had actually chosen to drop the major because of him. All she needed was one class, but even that was too much to take. He had broken her. For the past years we have been helping her put together the pieces again.

Today, she has triumphed. I am proud to report that she is now halfway through her masters degree in directing at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. Today she made her directorial debut at The Globe Theater, directing King Lear. My family is in London and has reported that it was brilliant. I am not surprised, for she is incapable of anything less. While I will never get over not being able to be there, I am so thrilled and proud of her.

Virginia never let her disability stop her. Now, she has chosen not let this one man's ignorance stand in her way any longer. There is no day I could face that would amount to even half of what my sister handles from her disability every minute. Every time I face a challenge and feel afraid, I think of her and know that I can be strong just like she has been. She is my inspiration, my source of strength and motivation.

That picture? That's Virginia on the left and myself on the right. She happens to also be a gifted artist. These are huge charcoal on canvas works she did for my mother this year.

The moral of my sister's story is one we all must remember: the bully does not have to win.

I love you Gina, just as so many do. You have always been my Miss America. Brava.