CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Rose Brown speaks to everyone who walks past. The senior at UNC Charlotte has made tons of connections on campus and her bubbly attitude backs that claim up.
"Hey y'all," the senior says to a group of students.
An infectious smile and outgoing personality make her impossible to miss and irresistible to greet but she wasn't born with this kind of popularity.
"From the age of nine to 18, I was bullied on a daily basis," recalls Brown.
The Kings Mountain native suffered a decade of being tormented. Rose says she's been called every name in the book, had trash stuffed in her mouth, and even had her hair cut by a bully.
"I had extremely, extremely dark times where I felt alone and had no in the world," said Brown.
The hit show "13 Reasons Why" on Netflix has generated an international conversation about bullying and its effects on teenagers.
According to a recent study by the University of Southern California, one out of five teenagers contemplate suicide. The Center for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) say suicide is the second leading cause of death among 15 to 19-year-olds.
Rose first found a way to cope by writing hip hop music and developing a love for philanthropy and beauty pageants.
In November 2016, Rose took home the crown and title of "Miss Piedmont," going from bullied to Beauty Queen.
"I never would have thought I would have went from the girl in the bathroom being called names to the girl who's wearing this crown and being able to reach a lot of people," said Brown.
She graduates from UNCC next week with a double-major but the corporate world will have to wait because Rose is going for another crown, competing for Miss North Carolina in June.
"I'm speechless because I wake up and I am Miss Piedmont and it's still unbelievable to me!"