Demi Lovato__ might be busy with her judging duties on X-Factor, but she's still making time to bring awareness to an issue that she herself has struggled with in the past–bullying. The 20-year-old Latina was just named an ambassador for Secret's campaign, "Mean Stinks," which encourages girls to join together to stop bullying in schools.
Lovato, who has been very open about her difficult teenage years, said she decided to join the program in order to use her past experiences to help other young girls. "I had a really tough time when I was in middle school," she told PEOPLE. "It was a very emotional time for me, and all I wanted to do was get away."
Well, the star has obviously come a long way from then! And now, she's passing on the wisdom she gained from those painful times to other teens. On Thursday, Lovato even visited an East Harlem school for girls to encourage them to stand up themselves and battle against the bullying epidemic. Speak up if you're being bullied," she said. "Remember that you're all beautiful and you're all worth it."
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Aww! I absolutely LOVE that Lovato is using her fame and extremely personal experiences to bring attention to an issue that affects teens so deeply. With all of the tabloid drama about celebrities these days, it's refreshing to see a celebrity–and an extremely young one at that–not only speak openly about her past, but also use it to inspire others to overcome their own obstacles.
Plus, given her amazing success (seriously, she is having her biggest year yet!), Lovato is real-life proof that with strength and determination, you can always come out on top. Now, that's what I call a true role model.
Images via Splash News, Secret/facebook
