Hi. My name is Sam Potthast. I was born on February 22, 1998, in Donetsk, Ukraine. I did not become an American until December 23, 1998, when my parents adopted me and brought me home to Elmhurst, Illinois. Five years later, we moved to Gambrills, Maryland where I still live today. Although my residence is in Maryland, I make sure I see every inch of the world that I can. Over the past ten years, I have visited England, Ireland, France, Portugal, and Italy. The summer after I graduated High School I decided it was time to travel without my parents holding my hand every step of the way. That summer I drove across the country, making a stop in every state in the continental U.S.

 

I traveled a lot and I plan to visit more places, but I should probably mention what my life was like when I was home in Maryland. I was born with a Unilateral Cleft Palate. Due to the congenital disability, I have had many surgeries throughout my childhood to correct the deformity. I have had bone and cartilage taken from my hips and ribs for the repair of my upper lip, nose, jaw, and gums. The reshaping of my mouth and nose was more than just an experience; it was my life. I had to grow up believing that society hated my face enough to want it changed or "fixed" as many people said. For a 10-year-old girl, that was hard. I had friends in elementary school, but I always felt different. My looks were different, and style of living was different. Most kids had a pediatrician and a dentist when I had those and many surgeons and speech pathologists. 

 

As a kid, I had plenty of friends. I had a positive attitude and always saw the fun and good in others and myself. I was never scared or nervous, not even for my operations. To be honest, my younger self is someone I look up to now. High School is when I changed. I went to a school where no one knew me. No one knew my story. I was just a face in a crowd. A face with scarring on her upper lip, a strange looking nose, and way too much energy. I did not make many friends in high school. I judged people too hard. I judged them for partying and making bad decisions. My best friends in high school were my parents. I loved spending time with them because they are like-minded people. I did not feel like I had to fight to keep their friendship. During high school I had jobs. These jobs helped me see the real world instead of "high school world."  Although my parents were not fans of the idea, my new friend group became the 20-year-olds from my job. They didn't see me as an annoying high school girl with a Cleft. I spent my high school years studying for school, working my different jobs, reading comic books, and playing video games. Video games are my escape to new worlds. I can save the Gotham, discover El Dorado, survive a nuclear fallout, and take over the world just by turning on my games. 

 

I am currently attending High Point University in High Point, NC where I am majoring in history

 

I have never loved how my face looks, and I probably never will, but I have always loved my body and mind. I love the woman I have become, and I would never change myself for others.