Bullying is something many teenagers face as they go through high school, but not all of them have the gumption to turn their negative experiences into something that benefits the world.

That’s what US 16-year-old Dannie “Dee” McMillan did after her classmates created a Twitter account called ‘Dee the Fat Whale.’

The account featured a photo edited to replace Dee’s face with a whale.

She said she was “destroyed” after she saw what her classmates had published online.

After visiting her school counsellor and shedding many tears, Dee decided to make something positive of what had happened to her.

She took ownership of the nasty nickname, and started selling T-shirts that said “Dee the Fat Whale Saves the Whales” and donating all proceeds to a charity that helps endangered whales.

She said she was initially "destroyed" by the bullying but decided to create the T-shirts as a positive response. (booster.com)

So far, more than 220 shirts have been sold and AU$6000 profits made.

In addition, Dee started a GoFundMe page with the aim of telling her story and spreading the message to save the sea creatures.

She has raised more than AU$10,000 through the page in just one month.

Dee said she drew inspiration from plus sized model Laura Lee, who inspired her to respond to the bullying with dignity and confidence.

“This project means so much to me because while I can help make a difference in the oceans I can also set an example for other victims of bullying. I can take someone's hate and use it to spread love,” she said on her GoFundMe page.