More than just a name by Alexys

More than just a name by Alexys - June 2021 Scholarship Essay

No one realizes the impact of a name until they stop using it. When I started my freshman year of college, I wanted to be the person I am, not who I was. And it was that drive that caused me to come out as transgender to my teachers in the hopes of being able to go by my preferred name and not the legal, official one posted on every document the college used. After sending a multitude of anxiety-ridden emails to teachers, one stood profoundly out. My English 101 teacher responded not only overwhelmingly positive but also contacted the school so that my account reflected my true name. When I typed in online discussion boards and communicated to my peers, I didn’t have to explain the incongruity with my name. I didn’t have to come out to my peers just to be called by the name I chose.
She was the only person out of a dozen teacher I came out to that aided me in changing my name in the system. And it was this same teacher who recommended that a paper I wrote in her class be submitted for publication in the school’s literature journal. Of my entire academic career, I had never had a teacher who supported me and believed in me enough to not only help me with something as personal as updating my name but also aid in the publication of a story I wrote. If I needed help during the weekend, she was available to email. If I needed a letter of recommendation, she was more than willing to help. I will never have a more impactful teacher than her and I will be forever grateful to have attended her class.