Lizzie Velasquez has always defied the odds -- doctors said she wouldn't survive when she was born with a rare disorder that makes her incapable of creating muscle, storing body fat or gaining weight, but she did. Then she was dubbed "the world's ugliest woman" in high school in some hateful YouTube comments, and now Velasquez risen above the cruelty to find success.Velazquez set four goals for herself: to become a motivational speaker, publish a book, to graduate college, and to build a career for herself.

As of now, she's very close to accomplishing those goals -- although she's only a senior in college, the 23-year-old published her second book, 'Be Beautiful, Be You,' earlier this month. Her first book 'Lizzie Beautiful' was published in 2010, and to date she's given over 200 motivational workshops.

Lizzie also uses social media to counteract the hateful comments and stares she receives. She has a YouTube account where she posts video blogs that range in topic from dealing with bullies to fashion tips, and she's joined Tumblr, where she posts inspirational messages and writes about how she's learned to overcome internet haters.

Despite the cruelty of the world at large, Velasquez is well on her way to achieving all of her goals and is already an excellent role model.

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