Metro Detroit native overcame thoughts of suicide at age 9. Now she helps other struggling

(FOX 2) - Shannon Monet has a saying: You're growing moments take you into your glowing moments.

She wears a smile when reciting it now that it's become a mantra that guided her in her teenage years. But it was years of bullying prompting thoughts of suicide that preceded her breakthrough. 

"Every night I actually wanted to end my life at 9 years old. I thought ‘what’s the point of living? It doesn't look great already," she said. "I'm 9 years old - why am I going through this?"

Monet dealt with relentless bullying as a child. She would struggle to fit in and when she tried, "it still never worked out," she said.

"I tried to dress like them or do different things like them and pick that identity that they have and it just wasn't working out for me. I still end up getting bullied," Monet said. "And it was a very tough experience for me."

But she grew so she could glow.

The 16-year-old is a student at Highpoint Virtual Academy, but it was in middle school when she managed to claw her way out of the darker times of her childhood.

"It really happened when I was in 6th and 7th grade, and it was a huge transition that happened to me where I was like ‘You know, I have a purpose in my life and even though I went through this, it’s to help me grow," Monet said.

"So everything I went through was to prepare me for my purpose and my calling in life."

That calling comes in the form of motivational speeches and inspirational videos on YouTube and social media. The best way to reach her suffering peers, Monet decided, was to share her wisdom in the places where those struggling can find her. 

Her video was titled "Outcast." Armed with a love for graphic design and video editing, the snowballing of online media did the rest. 

You can learn more about Monet and her journey on her website here: https://shannonmonet.com. Find her social media page here.