Approval by Trinatee

Approval by Trinatee - September 2022 Scholarship Essay

My whole life I was surrounded by people who didn’t look like me.

Beautiful, long hair, clear skin, healthy body- all the qualities I don’t have. I in particular, didn’t really take this to heart up until 6th grade.

In 6th grade it was extremely hard to make friends, and combined with the heavy load of insecurities I gathered it didn’t help my situation at all.

So, I went through middle school being someone who I never was meant to be. I used to straighten my hair every month just to get more compliments on my hair. I used to stay up late at night figuring out the perfect outfit so I won’t get teased for having old clothes. I used to “forget” my glasses at home so I won’t look too nerdy. I used to wash my face day and night and still-

My.Face.Wasn’t.Cleared.

Approval from those around me was a necessity of mine, it consumed my mind day and night, and nowhere could happiness be seen from being who I wanted to be.

Now, in my first year of college I look back sadly at my 13 year old self, wondering what the heck I was thinking.

You don’t need anyone's approval but your own.

I wish I had that advice before, so then I could've been confident in my natural hair, confident in my body type, confident in my own skin.

Now I am confident in my natural hair, confident in my body type, confident in my own skin. Although it only took a couple of years, and although I wished I knew it sooner, I’m thankful I know it now.

I’m thankful that in the future, I will continue to be blessed by being who I truly am.