Learning how to meet people by Janessa

Learning how to meet people by Janessa - November 2014 Scholarship Essay

People always tell you that you need to accept everyone and not be a part of the cliques that infect the high school world. “People get hurt, people feel left out,” they say, and while this is true, I have realized another, and perhaps more impactful reason to overcome these groups. Getting to know people is an essential skill to have once you step past the threshold of your doorstep and fine yourself on your own.

I’m telling you now, get over the prejudices, the cliques, and the groups that control your school, and get to know people. Don’t spread yourself to thin, have a group of solid friends, but learn how to meet people. Through my mind the catchy and childish tune of “It’s a small world” echoes. Undeniably there will be a day that you will associate with someone that knows an individual from your high school. As exciting as this moment of realization and connection should be, the result is often “Yeah I went to high school with her, we hung out in different groups and we weren’t that close”. Instances like this break my heart and they have happened to me too many times. As I mentioned above, have a good support of friends, but get to know people. You will have a day that you wish you had gotten to know the people that were by your side for four years of your life.

Each person has a unique story and perspective on the world. In the city of New York, Brandon Stanton began a project titled “Humans of New York”. The premise of this project was to capture the diversity of New York City, and eventually people’s stories and quotes began to flow through his work rather than just images. These stories exemplify the greatness of humanity, the struggles, and the joys. Each person is more than a number, more than the overdue library book, or the filled seat behind you. They are more than the person blocking the busy hallway, or the name under yours on the roll. I challenge you to discover these people; learn some small part of who they are and what makes them a person.

The influence of social media allows us to have a false sense of friendship with hundreds of people. Knowing someone does not mean you know what they ate for lunch, or who they are dating because you saw a photo or a comment about it. Rather you know how they light up when they talk about their romance, or the way that they murmur about overpriced salads. Be with them, rather than settling on scrolling through their Instagram, facebook, or twitter account. Realize the liveliness and emotion that resides in their face and their eyes, Learn what a person looks like when they feel. Obviously it is impossible to know everyone and their story, but it will be ten times more difficult if you limit yourself to the people that sit in the same lunchroom corner, or have the same wealth and status.

The day you enter college, you’re bombarded with newness. A universal shock is the feeling of insignificance that is experienced. In such a promising and zealous period, one should feel so influential, and yet it is the complete opposite. The vast amount of people and unfamiliar faces are catalysts of despondency. Students understand that they are similar in the goal of an education, yet background stories and personal identity are thrown out the window. Reminding yourself of your character and knowing how to introduce yourself to someone is essential to surviving in a mass of people. At college, and in the real world, people won’t know your life story like in high school. Your professors won’t, neither will your roommates, and neither will the random guy that sits next to you in class. The majority of the people that you pass won’t even know your name. You WILL feel like a number, another statistic of someone who worked hard to get there, another person taking up space. Having the ability to introduce yourself to people makes you realize that you are an individual in the sea of people sporting your college’s colors. It reminds you that you don’t have the same story as the next seat over. It allows you to say your name, the rawest form of identity one has. More often than not, these one time meetings don’t result in any sort of lasting friendship, but the moment of introducing yourself to someone, and carrying on seemingly insignificant conversation, confirms that you are a living, breathing, person that is functioning and that matters.

Having the desire and courage to meet people can prove to be life changing. It allows you to form friendships and relationships with people of various backgrounds, and creates appreciation and respect for the diversity that is present in one’s life. Additionally, introductions serve as a reminder of identity, when one seems lost in a crowd. Allowing one to explain and present who they are and their dreams, emphasizes our existence.