People always tell you not to worry about what others think but it's easier said than done. "Be yourself and everyone will love you!" Yet we find out quickly that sometimes being ourselves can make us not want to be ourselves.

One time before college I was made fun of for being a cheerleader. Going to the games, school spirit and making friends was something I loved doing. To be told I was funny looking in my uniform and doing the cheers crushed my heart. I said I would never cheer again, so I decided to quit.

Two separate times in High School, my boyfriend at the time told me to lose weight and that I looked stupid with my hair cut. I tried not to listen but somehow these words found a way to echo in the middle of the night. I decided I would lose weight and keep my hair "normal."

One day I was explaining to a new friend how much I loved being a member of the FFA. They asked to learn more about it but as soon as I started talking, the jokes started. "So you want to be a farmer.?? It's a farming club? What do you guys even do, sell cows all day?" I didn't even get to mention the leadership skills I gained, the veterinary skills I learned and the communication skills and opportunities that were earned in 4 hard and fantastic years. I laughed and went along my day.

One time an older lady approached me asking about my University of Delaware sweatshirt. She had asked what I was majoring in. The second I said Animal Sciences she looked disgusted. "So what? You want to be a vet? You can't save them all. Get a more practical degree." I replied with the answer I always told people, "Oh, I don't want to be a vet!" She continued to laugh and say being a farmer wasn't an option either. My dreams were to go into Animal Nutrition or Animal Physical Therapy. I then decided to become a double major in hopes to drop Animal Science the next semester.

Once I got a new makeup kit from my aunt. I continued to find videos and pictures to test it out. I was complimented the entire year on my makeup and how beautiful it looked. One day I went to class without makeup only to hear "you look sick, are you ok?" Brushing it off I replied with "yeah, just didn't have time to do my makeup!" Someone then stated that I looked better with makeup and I shouldn't leave without it. I decided I would make sure I woke up early every day for school with enough time to do my makeup to avoid the comments again.

One day I woke up and went to my job as being a tour guide at my school. Later that day someone made a comment to me that they could "never be a tour guide" because it's "quite possibly the worst job for preppy girls that think they know it all." I began to think about how much I loved my job and the family I made through it. I thought back to all the times that I decided that because of people's comments I was going to pretend to be someone I wasn't. I replied with "It's the best job I could have asked for," and let her go on with the rest of her day.

That day I decided to be me.