Girl on 'beautiful' list for being herself

Tori Cody sees life differently than most girls her age.

The 10-year-old Salt Lake resident likes to live her life independently of stereotypes and assigned gender roles, wearing what clothes she likes whether they're found in the boy or girl section.

"I don't copy the things my friends do," she said. "I do (march to my own beat) a lot."

Tori was recently honored for this willingness to be herself by being chosen as one of the 25 Beautiful Girls featured in New Moon: The Magazine for Girls and Their Dreams in the May-June 2006 issue. New Moon's 25 Beautiful Girls issue celebrates females ages 8-15 who are beautiful for who they are and what they do, not how they look.

Sheila Cody, Tori's mother, said she felt inspired one Sunday last fall to submit a write-up on Tori to the magazine as she knew the Beautiful Girls issue was coming up. She felt her daughter fit the profile of what the magazine looks for in the girls they choose to feature.

"I just think she's one of the most imaginative, creative people I've ever known," she said. "All parents know their kids are creative, but it's really cool to be able to have a magazine like New Moon . . . that gives girls an opportunity to share that or celebrate their personality with others."

It was a couple months after Sheila sent in Tori's profile that the Codys found out Tori would be featured in the magazine. Tori is a strong believer that it just takes being yourself to be beautiful. Her profile in the magazine says, "Strength, kindness and intelligence make a person beautiful — she doesn't have to be a genius."

Sheila Cody says creative activities and being herself are things Tori has always excelled at.

"She is very independent and she never has been much of a crowd follower, but she's got a lot of friends," she said. "Tori's a friendly and sweet girl, but she's opinionated about things she likes and doesn't like and voices those opinions pretty regularly. . . . Tori has just worlds going on inside her head. She writes and draws all the time, and that's why I wanted to write about her. Besides being my daughter, she is one of the most creative young women I've ever met in my life."

One of Tori's pet peeves is when girls don't stand up for themselves. Sometimes people tease her because she chooses to wear clothes based on what she likes and not what is expected of her gender. However, she has come to think of being called weird or different as other people's way of saying she stands out, which she considers a compliment.

"I always just like being myself, and you should be yourself," she said. "You don't have to be someone else to look good or look nice. Be yourself to look good and nice."

Sheila Cody is grateful to have a magazine like New Moon that can help influence girls to realize the importance of being themselves.

"I think New Moon is a great magazine for girls," she said. "It's a girl positive kind of magazine. . . . Of all the magazines (Tori) reads, that's her favorite, and she was featured in it. It's a good magazine for people her age."

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E-mail: twalquist@desnews.com