When Kat Hoffman was growing up in Bellefontaine, Ohio, bullies were a big problem for her.

Hoffman, 26, was born with a form of dwarfism that stunted her growth at 3 feet, 11 inches and made her a target of teasing.

“At school I felt like an outcast, people bullied me because of my size and I was angry at the world,” Hoffman told Barcroft Media. “High school was a difficult time, other kids were rude and brutally bitchy. I dreaded school every day -- no one wanted to speak with me.”