Tatum Williams and Sheila in New York City. Two friends, one shared dream and a commitment to Manga Against Bullying. Original illustration accompanying their letter to the World Organization Bullying Sin Fronteras.

FROM NEW YORK WITH LOVE: TWO FRIENDS, ONE DREAM AND A MESSAGE AGAINST BULLYING

Tatum Williams and Sheila turn painful memories into a commitment to art, friendship and a world without bullying

NEW YORK, USA — There are stories that begin with a dream. Others begin with a painful memory. And sometimes, the most beautiful stories are those in which people decide to transform their past into something meaningful for others.

This is the story of Tatum Williams and her best friend Sheila, two young women living together in New York City who have decided to join an international initiative that brings together art, creativity and the fight against bullying and cyberbullying.

Their message is simple: nobody should have to suffer for being themselves.

TWO FRIENDS, ONE LITTLE APARTMENT AND A BIG DREAM

Tatum is 24 years old. She works as an executive at Morgan Stanley, a professional career that has given her opportunities and stability. Yet, behind that professional life, she has another ambition: becoming a manga artist.

She wants to draw, create characters, tell stories and reach people through illustration.

Sheila, her closest friend and roommate, shares that enthusiasm. Their apartment may be small, but their dreams are not. Looking out over New York City, they often imagine traveling, discovering new cultures, meeting artists and eventually bringing their own manga stories to life.

But their friendship also carries memories of a difficult period in their lives.

WHEN BEING YOURSELF BECOMES A TARGET

Both women experienced bullying during their school years.

Sheila was particularly affected. According to Tatum's testimony, she suffered physical attacks from other students. Tatum remembers intervening to protect her friend during one particularly frightening episode, believing that Sheila could otherwise have been seriously injured.

What made Sheila a target?

Her personal style.

She enjoyed dressing elegantly, taking care of her appearance and expressing her personality through the way she looked. Rather than respecting those choices, some students used them as a reason to attack and intimidate her.

Tatum never understood how someone could be hated simply for being herself.

Yet Sheila did not allow those experiences to erase her personality. She retained her elegance, her sense of humor and her enthusiasm for life.

For Tatum, that resilience is one of the qualities she admires most about her friend.

DISCOVERING WORLD ORGANIZATION BULLYING SIN FRONTERAS

On May 2, 2026, World Day Against Bullying, Tatum and Sheila discovered the work of Bullying Sin Fronteras.

They began reading about its international campaigns and its commitment to protecting children and young people.

The encounter had a profound personal meaning.

For the first time, they imagined that experiences which had once caused them pain could become a source of inspiration for others.

Their artistic ambitions and their personal histories suddenly seemed to point in the same direction.

They wanted to participate.

MANGA AGAINST BULLYING AND CYBERBULLYING

Tatum and Sheila have expressed their desire to become part of MANGA AGAINST BULLYING AND CYBERBULLYING, an international initiative promoted by the World Organization Bullying Sin Fronteras, with the collaboration of Artists Hub Buenos Aires.

Their intention is to create manga with emotion, sensitivity, imagination and a clear message.

They want their stories to remind young readers that every person has an identity, a history and a dignity that deserve respect.

Art can entertain. It can inspire. But it can also give a voice to people who have experienced situations they struggle to explain.

That is the contribution these two friends hope to make.

TOKYO AND BUENOS AIRES: TWO DREAM DESTINATIONS

Their letter also reveals two destinations that occupy a special place in their imagination.

The first is Tokyo.

They dream of visiting Japan and experiencing Comiket, the internationally known gathering associated with manga, independent creators, illustrators and artistic communities. For Tatum, entering that world would be an extraordinary personal milestone.

The second destination is Buenos Aires.

They would love to meet the people behind Artists Hub Buenos Aires, discover their work and personally thank them for collaborating with Bullying Sin Fronteras on this initiative.

Two cities, two different artistic experiences, and one common purpose.

WHEN PAIN BECOMES A MESSAGE OF HOPE

Perhaps the most moving part of Tatum's letter is its closing reflection.

She imagines that one day she and Sheila will look back and remember how everything began: two friends in a small New York apartment, looking at the city through a window and daring to dream.

That image captures the spirit of this initiative.

The fight against bullying is not only about denouncing aggression or demanding institutional responses. It is also about creating opportunities for people to recover their confidence, express themselves and discover that their experiences can help others.

The World Organization Bullying Sin Fronteras welcomes this expression of interest from New York as part of its commitment to bringing art and awareness together across borders.

Tatum and Sheila have a story to tell.

And they want to tell it through manga.

FROM NEW YORK TO TOKYO. FROM BUENOS AIRES TO THE WORLD.

ART HAS NO BORDERS. SOLIDARITY HAS NO BORDERS.

WORLD ORGANIZATION BULLYING SIN FRONTERAS

MANGA AGAINST BULLYING AND CYBERBULLYING

Original message:

NEW YORK, USA

Dear Friends at Bullying Sin Fronteras,

My name is Tatum. I am 24 years old, and I am writing this letter from our little apartment in New York, where my best friend Sheila and I share our lives, our dreams, our laughter, and sometimes our worries.

I work as an executive at Morgan Stanley. I know it is a career that many people would consider a dream come true, and I am grateful for the opportunities it has given me. But there is something I have never been able to silence inside myself: I want to dedicate my life to manga. I want to draw, create characters, tell stories, and hopefully make people feel something through my art. Sometimes I wonder whether I will ever have the courage to leave the professional world behind and follow that dream completely.

Sheila is my closest friend. We live together in a tiny apartment, with barely enough room for all our things, but we have a beautiful view of New York. At night, when the city lights come on, we often talk about the future. We imagine traveling, discovering new places, meeting artists, and perhaps one day seeing our own manga stories come to life.

But there is a part of our past that we don't usually talk about with strangers.

Both of us experienced bullying at school. And although those years are behind us, some memories never completely disappear.

Sheila suffered particularly badly. She was physically attacked by other students. I remember how unfair and frightening those moments were. I stood by her and intervened when she needed someone to protect her. I still believe that if I hadn't been there on that occasion, she could have been seriously hurt.

And what was her terrible mistake, according to those who bullied her?

She liked being sophisticated. She enjoyed looking after her appearance, dressing nicely, and feeling good about herself. She had her own style and wasn't afraid to show it. Apparently, that was enough to make her a target.

I never understood how someone could be hated simply for being herself.

Sheila is a wonderful person, and one of the things I admire most about her is that, despite everything she went through, she never allowed those experiences to take away her personality. She still has her elegance, her sense of humor, and her way of looking at life. I am proud of her.

Perhaps that is why discovering Bullying Sin Fronteras meant so much to us.

We came across your organization on May 2, 2026, World Day Against Bullying. We started reading about your work, your international campaigns, and your commitment to protecting children and young people. Something happened that we didn't expect: we felt that we had finally found an organization whose mission spoke directly to our own experiences.

We fell in love with what you do.

For the first time, we imagined that something painful from our past could become something positive. Perhaps our experiences could help someone else. Perhaps the stories we create could reach a young person who is being bullied and make that person feel a little less alone.

That is why Sheila and I would love to participate in "MANGA AGAINST BULLYING AND CYBERBULLYING".

We want to be part of this international adventure. We want to create manga with emotion, sensitivity, imagination, and a message. We want to show that behind every person there is a story that deserves to be respected.

And we have two dreams that we often talk about in our little apartment.

The first is Tokyo. We would absolutely love to visit Japan and experience Comiket, surrounded by manga artists, illustrators, independent creators, and people who share our passion. For me, it would be almost unbelievable to stand in the middle of that world.

The second is Buenos Aires. We would love to meet the people at Artists Hub Buenos Aires, discover their work, and personally thank them for collaborating with Bullying Sin Fronteras on this wonderful initiative.

Maybe one day we will look back at this letter and remember that it all started with two friends in a tiny New York apartment, looking at the city through the window and daring to dream.

Thank you for creating a space where art can become a voice, where creativity can carry a message, and where people with different stories can come together for the same cause.

Sending you a huge greeting from New York, with all our affection and excitement.

We hope to see you in this adventure!

With love and hope,

Tatum Williams.

On behalf of Sheila and myself.

New York City, USA

Click for Manga Against Bullying

WORLD ORGANIZATION BULLYING SIN FRONTERAS