We live in a society where people make fun of others for being or looking different. Nowadays, everyone appears to be a target, for one reason or another. The main reasons are because of people’s ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual preference, or appearance. The online community never misses a chance to point the finger at others’ differences. Fortunately, it’s slowly becoming more and more frequent to find people on social media whose uniqueness has actually made them role models for children and teens. Some have albinism while others have vitiligo. Although they may be as different as chalk and cheese, there are also some traits that all of these people share. First, they are all human. Second, what sets them apart has made them who they are today.

Vitiligo was “a blessing” for Shankar Jalota

At the age of 15, when most teens are at their most self-conscious, Shankar Jalota noticed that his skin had two small, light-colored areas on his skin: one patch on his eye and one on his breast. At first, he tried to hide his vitiligo from everyone because he felt embarrassed by it.

However, and fortunately, Shankar eventually learned how to accept this condition. He has even used it as a driving force behind his modeling career. This Manchester Metropolitan University student is an enthusiastic advocate for the body positivity movement. He says that he attempts to inspire others by promoting body positivity.