This TED Talk features social innovator Michelle L. Sullivan, recorded live at TED Women 2016.

We all have milestones in life that we remember so vividly.

The first one for me was when I was entering kindergarten.

My big brother was in school, and by golly, it was my time.

And I went trotting down that hallway.

I was so excited, I almost wet myself.

And I go to the door, and there was a teacher with a warm welcome.

And she took me into the classroom, showed me my little cubbyhole.

We all remember those little cubby holes, don't we?

And we put our stuff in there.

And then she said, go over to the circle and play with the kids until class starts.

So I went over there and plop down like I own the place, and I'm playing.

And all of a sudden, the boy next to me, he was wearing a white shirt with blue shorts.

I remember it like it was yesterday.

And suddenly he stopped playing, and he said, why are you so short?

And I just kept playing. I didn't think he was talking to me.

And in a louder voice, he said, hey, why are you so short? So I looked up and I said, what are you talking about? Let's just play. We're happy. I've been waiting for this. And so we played in about a minute later, the girl next to him,

and a white shirt and a pink skirt stood up, put her hands on her hips, and said,

yeah, why do you look so different? And I went, what are you talking about? I don't look different. I'm not sure.

Again, let's just play.

About this time, I looked all around the circle I was in,

and all the kids had stopped playing, and they were all looking at me.

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