Billy Hardiman/Arizona Republic

Elia Simon shares her story at the Phoenix Art Museum on March 14, 2018.

KJZZ partners with the Arizona Republic to bring you the Arizona Storytellers series. We record the live events and share them with you on the radio. In Phoenix, the storytellers sometimes share stories about our community or the life events that have shaped them in general. Megan Finnerty is the creator of the series. 

Elia Simon was born and raised in Israel. Her family lived in a kibbutz and her mom made most of her clothes. When she was in 2nd grade, Simon's family moved from Israel to Phoenix. Simon was enrolled in a private  Jewish school and had a little trouble adjusting.

She wanted to fit in with the popular girls but they didn't accept her. The only thing Simon thought they had that she didn't have was Guess brand clothing. So one day, while shopping at a discount clothing store, Simon found a T-shirt that said Guess on the front. She begged her mom to buy it for her.

Elia Simon is a counselor at Quail Run Behavior Health Hospital in Phoenix.

The next storytelling event is Sept. 13, 2018, at the Desert Botanical Garden.

→ Hear More Arizona Storytellers