We have all been teenagers or young adults at some point in time.

We have all spent endless amounts of minutes and hours trying to learn and navigate our way through life through our passions and work. There are moments where we thrive and accomplish many things, and there are moments where we fail, but quickly learn from our mistakes and get right back up.

So why am I, a college student, still being judged or discriminated against in the office because of my age?

The other day, I had an incident at work where a coworker of mine made a few judgments about my performance that were unsolicited and uncalled for. In the past, this coworker had done similar things, where they would interrogate me on what I was working on, or even make me feel as if I were dumb for completing the assignment in the specific way I was asked to by my boss.

However, this incident was more aggressive than the other times in the past, and their argument was solely based on the fact that I'm a college intern who doesn't know what they're doing, and more specifically, "doesn't understand priorities."

First of all, why is my age even being considered in this equation? Yes, I am a college student and I'm young, but that doesn't mean I don't understand my job or the professional importance of it. An internship is supposed to help me learn more about the work-field and to help prepare me for one day when I actually have a real position.

That being said, there will be times where I do make mistakes, but I know how to learn from those mistakes and improve my abilities in the future so I avoid making those errors again. Plus, we're all human, and we all make mistakes, no matter what position or role we have in the office. So why are the mistakes I make such a big deal to you just because I'm young when you were in this same position when you were my age?

Second, just because I have a lower position in the staff does not automatically make me lesser than everyone else or make me dumb, nor does it give anyone the right to belittle my abilities or maturity. I might not be as old or have as many experiences as everyone else, but don't discredit all of the experiences I have gone through that have gotten me to this point.

Both high school and college have taught me independence and time-management, and how to make important and rational decisions on my own. I have taken classes and done many projects in the past focused on topics that interest me, and now I try to incorporate all of the knowledge I've gained from this into my work. So yeah, I might not have as much experience as you, but quality over quantity, right?

Like any other college student, I'm trying to step my toes into the water and establish the beginning of my professional career. I'm trying to discover what I want to pursue with my life, and I want to put my work out there for everyone to be able to see my talent. But with adults constantly doubting me and putting me down because of my age, I can't do this as easily.

Us teenagers and young adults are the voice of the century, as you so claim, but we can't live up to that standard if we're constantly being silenced or belittled because we're "just kids" and we "don't know enough about life yet."

Well to that, I have something to say to you: age is only a demographic. We might not have been as many times around the sun as you adults have, but that doesn't mean we're uneducated, immature, or unimportant. A number shouldn't define our skill or importance, because we too have been through many experiences that have gotten us to where we are.

At the end of the day, everyone is different, and that's what makes us special. But if you can only see me for my age instead of my talent and ability, then that's your loss.