At first glance, Cassandra Perkins may seem like the kind of girl who’s got everything. Beautiful, well-spoken and confident, it’s hard to believe that this Chapparrel High School freshman was bullied to the point of having to leave junior high school just two years ago. What could have made this lovely, kind-hearted young woman the target of bullying? Her decision to befriend students who were who were, as she puts it, “a little different, nerdy, from ethnic backgrounds” or simply not popular for whatever reason. As a result, popular students began harassing her until she was forced to change schools.

But while many young people would become withdrawn, angry or even self-destructive after such an experience, Perkins has turned her negative experiences into a passion for helping other kids. First, she and her mother, Joni, wrote stories about their experiences, which were recently published in a book entitled “Lift as You Climb”. Perkins was then asked to host an internet talk show called, “Behind the Mask with Cassi Perkins”, in which she interviewed guests about a variety of topics including bullying, suicide, teen pregnancy and other topics which are seldom spoken about openly.

A year later she left “Behind the Mask” and struck out on her own with an internet show called, “Global Voices Reaching Out”, with the hope of having an impact beyond her “own little neck of the woods.” Through her show, she has become involved with several charitable organizations, including Project Sanctuary, Trot for our Troops, Youth for Parker, Safe to Tell, The BRI Foundation, The Red Cross, and Project Cure. According to Perkins, the goal of the show is to uplift, inspire, motivate and provide tools for change and growth that will allow others to lead lives of purpose.

Perkins started performing at the age of five. Blind in one eye from birth, Perkins has no depth perception. Her parents, Burgess and Joni, thought theatre would be a great activity since sports would have proven difficult and frustrating. She took to acting like a fish to water and has been cast in several films, and was even nominated for a Heartland Emmy for her role in the promotional video, “Parker: A Town Through Time.” During the filming of a feature called “Best Ribs in Town”, Perkins learned how to handle firearms, perform fight choreography and take falls. She soon began training with Asgard Entertainment, a local group that trains stunt performers, provides FX services, rents an HD camera and even produces their own films.

Last year, her acting interests and her personal experiences with bullying led her to be cast in the feature film, “Bully Girls.” The film is being promoted to schools in the hopes that it can help create a cultural shift in junior high and high schools that will end bullying and foster tolerance and understanding. If you’d like to learn more about this locally produced feature film, read more about it in this article.

More recently, Perkins was asked to become a spokesmodel for the organization “Be Your Own You”, or BYOU, which promotes healthy self-esteem among teenage girls. Perkins will be featured on the cover of the December/ January issue of the organization’s magazine, and has already had several opportunities to speak at events and to take part in mother-daughter workshops. BYOU CEO Debra Gano is a national self-esteem expert and former international model/actress, and the best-selling author of the award-winning “Heartlight Girls” book series for young girls.

Finally, as if all of the above weren’t enough, a few weeks ago Perkins joined the cast of an internet cooking show called “Bella’s Young Foodies”, in which promising young chefs demonstrate recipes and cooking techniques for other teens, and hope to inspire audience members to have a positive impact on their families and communities through cooking, sharing meals and community service.

As inspiring as Cassandra Perkins is, I thought it would be fascinating to find out just who and what inspires her. Here that is in her own words:

-          “My [junior high] counselor Mrs. Swanson, because she got me through some hard times in my life. 

-          “Both my mother and my father, because they encourage me to be the best I can be every day, and they believe in me.

-          “Mother Teresa, because she had a heart of gold and helped people beyond her own self. 

-          “The people that I look up to are not the actors or famous people, they are the everyday people that are out there making a difference in the world, helping each other so that we can have a better place to live.

“My personal dreams are so many, but the most important is to make a difference in people’s lives.  If I can help save one person or help make them a better person because of what I did or said, then I feel I have lived my dream and fulfilled my purpose. My motto is ‘your voice is important and you matter’.”

Thanks for being such an inspiration, Cassi!