Our images of bravery usually come wrapped in Army green or police-force blue.
But bravery comes in blond, too.
Jenna Quinn may look more like a beauty queen than an icon of bravery, but her courage is something to behold.
Jenna is a triumphant survivor of sexual abuse.
No, more than mere survivor, she has become a valiant warrior against sexual abuse of children and adolescents.
A new Texas law bears her name. And the 22-year-old Carrollton woman leaves today for Boston, where she will meet with legislators and others to encourage the fight against sexual molestation.
We first met Jenna here five years ago. She was 17 years old and already showing her courage.
Victims of sex crimes usually aren't named in news stories, but Jenna wanted her name used. She wanted to be a model of openness to other victims.
See, Jenna had previously tried to be brave in a very different way. For several years, starting at age 13, she worked very hard to keep a secret.
The secret: She was being sexually molested by her father's best friend.
His family and hers were practically one big family – always together, sharing meals, celebrating holidays, traveling as a group.
Because Jenna knew that telling her secret would devastate so many others, she decided to suffer the ordeal alone. And suffer she did, undergoing so much emotional torment that she came close to suicide.
Finally telling her secret brought such sweet relief that she has been on a campaign ever since to spare others her torment.
The first step in that campaign was telling her story in my column, just a few days after her molester was sentenced to 20 years in prison. "I'm not scared. Don't you be scared," she told other victims at the time.
She followed that by telling her story for a short documentary film, It's Not Just Jenna. Kellie Quinn, Jenna's mom, said the film is now used in schools all around the state to heighten awareness of sexual abuse – particularly that it's most often perpetrated by a close, trusted person.
Jenna said her proudest moment came in August when Gov. Rick Perry held a ceremony to sign "Jenna's Law." The legislation creates a state task force on sexual abuse and requires schools to implement more education and prevention measures.
The bill's sponsor, state Rep. Tan Parker, R-Flower Mound, praised Jenna for both proposing the idea and helping get it passed. "Her passionate testimony and strong dedication effectively moved this bill through the legislative process," he said.
Jenna said she hopes the warning signs of abuse will become better known, leading to earlier detection. "It takes pressure off the victim and puts more responsibility on parents and caretakers," Jenna said.
Along with all these accomplishments, Jenna managed to graduate in just three years with a bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of Texas at Dallas.
And she graduated with honors, no less.
As far as her molester, Jenna said she's disappointed that he still hasn't apologized. But she said she has forgiven him. "I just feel sorry for him," she said.
Their two families are no longer close. But Jenna was thrilled to get a note of congratulations on Jenna's Law from her molester's ex-wife.
"It meant everything to me," she said.
Jenna is excited about starting graduate school in January. She plans to become a counselor working with autistic children.
"I feel as though I've been restored fully," she said. "I couldn't be any better. I feel blessed."
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Governor Rick Perry
Governor Rick Perry
Governor Rick Perry
Governor Rick Perry