Your name is your defining feature, it's what tells people who you are. When it's read or said out loud, it's the connector of all the components of your being into one package. It is what triggers the image of who you are to pop into someone's head.

Much too often, when asked to describe someone, the words that are chosen are physical characteristics: hair color, physical build, attire. The adjectives that follow tend to be where their interests lie, something that alludes to their intellect and sometimes even their economic status.

Recently I've noticed that my friends describe me in a way that does nothing to tell others what kind of person I am. They'll say, "She's a blonde from South Carolina who loves taking photos." And although that is all true, that isn't me as a whole. That does nothing to paint the picture of the kind of person I am.

Stereotypes are all too real and carry too much weight for me to be comfortable in letting others choose how people will see me before they even meet me. When you hear those descriptors, the automatic reaction would be to think dumb blonde, when in fact my studies are of utmost importance in my life. When you hear South Carolina, a whole new mixture of stereotypes floods in — preppy, thick southern accent, proper and old-fashioned. And lastly, the most common perception of photo taking is that it's purely for social media, when in fact I'm a photojournalist who wants to photograph natural disasters and their aftermath for a publication like National Geographic. I prefer the picture that is painted just by the sound, look and feel of my name, and I quite honestly hate when people choose to replace my name or add to my name with shallow adjectives.

I believe that we need to drop the physical descriptions and instead stick to our beautiful names that can do all the talking. When asked to describe someone, all you need is to say their name and share that you hope for others to fill in the rest on their own.

You are incredibly unique, and so is your name. It is more than letters on a page, spoken sounds or signed hand motions. It is a precious home that houses all of the qualities in which you possess. It is what a friend calls across campus to grab your attention, what a coach proudly yells as you're running to score a goal, what you sign at the end of a sweet letter to show someone you care. It is a story that works harmoniously together, and it is not meant to be singled out or torn apart. And because of these beliefs, this is why I don't believe in the adjectives that others are constantly trying to betroth on me.

I am not a list of physical or mental descriptors, I am not my blonde hair or brown eyes, my height or my weight. I am not my GPA, my college, my organizations or my hometown. I am a combination of my years, the places in which I spend my time and who I spend that time with. I am made up of my trials and errors, good intentions and inevitable flaws, I am made up of every bruise on my body and every freckle on my face. I am a personal package, a package that can only be described by one thing — my name. Paint a picture of your own that pops up in your head when you hear it, but don't paint that picture for someone else before they have the opportunity to create one of their own.