Stephanie Kurlow has wanted to be a ballerina as long as she can remember."I have been dancing since I was two years old," the Australian dancer told Refinery29. "It's always been a huge part of my life and a passion of mine."But she said her pursuit of that passion hit a rough patch in 2010, after she converted to Islam. While Kurlow, now 14, continued to perform in films, musicals, and talent competitions, she was shocked to find that there were "no full-time ballet studios that readily accepted me wearing hijab."Determined to dance, she refused to back down."I found it very unfair towards girls who do not fit the mould of a stereotypical ballerina and decided to pursue my dreams, whatever challenges I might face," she said.So Kurlow decided to take matters into her own hands. She created a LaunchGood crowdfunding campaign to raise money to support her dream of training full-time to be a professional ballerina — and eventually open a new performing arts academy that will cater to students of all religions.Her push to promote diversity made international headlines, and caught the attention of Swedish company Björn Borg. The apparel brand, founded by a tennis star, awarded the teen with a scholarship to cover the cost of her training.

Kurlow knows that this is just the first of many en pointe steps she must take to achieve her dream. There might need to be some adjustments to her performances, modest costumes and, in some cases, special choreography. And, as with any trailblazer, she's already faced some pushback. But she's committed to leading the way."Being the first Muslim hijabi ballerina is quite challenging, because the world hasn’t seen it yet," she said. "The traditional image of a ballerina is slowly changing and there is still a long way to go. The ballet world needs a little catching up to do, but it's definitely happening."Kurlow shared her story with Refinery29 from her home in Australia. Ahead, her thoughts on her journey, her hopes for the future, and more."First, I wanted to be like my mum, but later I started to read a lot and everything made sense for me in Islam. For example, I like to be modest and I like to keep my dignity, I like to know the purpose of my life. I like to live a healthy lifestyle and avoid harmful things. The hijab is so important to me because it's a part of who I am and represents the beautiful religion that I love. If people have the right to dress down, then I have the right to dress up and my hijab is my expression of love to my creator. I believe it covers my body but not my mind, heart, and talent."