The lives of disabled students can be difficult and stressful, because balancing treatment and education is no easy task. In some cases, schools are unaccommodating and peers can be mean-spirited.

Nyla Smith, a 20-year-old motivational speaker and advocate for disabled students, has taken the lessons she has learned from battling severe depression, anxiety disorder, inflammatory bowel disease and Crohn’s disease to help others in need.

The Dallas, Texas, native spoke to Atlanta Black Star about her incredible journey and her non-profit, The Hustle Hard Campaign, in an exclusive interview.