Change is something that once seemed impossible for me. But reflecting on my four years at Algonquin, I realized I am not the same old shy kid: I learned things that changed me into a more self-actualized person. So here are my lessons for everyone. 

My first lesson is to take rejection head on. I have dealt with a lot of rejection in my 18 years of life. For some reason, I never let those rejections, mainly for the guys I’ve liked before, break my heart or spirit. You might be saying, “Why is she talking about her failed love life?” and that is a fair concern. But from acting on those feelings and then getting rejected, I’ve for some reason never been happier. Just know that better things can come from it. 

For my second lesson, I say to never take yourself too seriously. When I was younger, I was the friend who would tell others to stop doing things because they were “childish” or “stupid.” But now looking back at her, she wasn’t so fun. If I could, I would go back and tell her that it doesn’t matter. We are all still kids and we should act like it. Taking yourself too seriously just sucks the life out of you. Have fun while you’re living, who cares!

Now for my final and most important lesson I leave to all of you: fake confidence until it becomes you. As a kid, I was never the most confident. I tried to get out of my shell, but would immediately recoil in myself. Going into Algonquin, I didn’t feel the need to try to stand out in such a large school population and I never tried to change anything from middle school. But out of the blue, confidence almost became my norm. I never noticed it until a teacher of mine who had me in sophomore year pointed it out. I faked my confidence entirely without knowing it. I did it in many ways in saying small things that would bring me up and do things that truly brought me joy. 

I know that this may not be something that many struggle with, but if it can help even one person become more comfortable in their skin, then my work here is done.