Be True to You: The Power of Self-Acceptance by Ashtyn

Be True to You: The Power of Self-Acceptance by Ashtyn - January 2022 Scholarship Essay

Ever since I was a young child, I have loved to draw, paint, and take photos more than anything else. Art is my passion! However, there have been times in my life where individuals have stated that art is just a hobby and not meant to be a career and for a period of time, I believed that.

That meant that I stepped away from being me and tried being them. I thought that they were right, that art would never lead me to success, so I turned my focus to veterinary medicine. I have always had pets and loved animals, so it seemed the perfect fit, until it was not. I did my research, I volunteered at a local veterinary clinic, and I could see myself as a doctor, until I could not because my heart said something else.

My heart told me that this is not you, but them. It was then that I realized that art could be my career because I made it so. It is then that I realized that self acceptance was the key to my success. Accepting who I was enabled me to finally and clearly see my future in art. It lead me to truly focus my high school and dual credit courses so that they would align to my career goals and thus enabled me true academic success because I was following my own path and not that of someone else. I was being true to me.

Today, I proudly maintain a high GPA, part-time job, and own two small businesses. I have been accepted to my dream school and cannot wait to start pursuing graphic design. As I walked the halls of the creative arts' building, I could see myself behind that easel, hovering over that drawing table, or engaged within top graphic design software on my own MacBook. I could see my art work displayed in the gallery, on the bulletin boards, and within journals. I had found exactly where I was meant to be and no one in the world could take that from me.

It was then that I knew that by accepting who I was meant to be, that I am and will always be successful. You, too, must accept who you are. As doing so, will enable you to truly fly just like me as I become a Cardinal at BSU (Chirp, Chirp)!