I never had the right temperament for learning about subjects I wasn't interested in, so school was always a struggle for me.

Instead, I was designing websites and digital products on 99designs, a competition platform, which earned me a $3,400 prize at 14.

This win fueled my passion for pursuing design as a career.

One day before history class, I took a right turn out of the front door of the gymnasium instead of heading straight to the classroom with my classmates.

I never returned.