Throughout high school, I always knew I was different. To be quite honest, I was never an athlete, prom queen, or a student council president. I found my comfort zone somewhere behind the scenes in a less highlighted area, even though I wished to be in the spotlight. Everyone always described me as being an introvert, but that was not the case. I was simply lacking confidence in my uniqueness.

Being different isn't a bad thing. In fact, it's what makes the world go 'round. Here's a brief idea: Imagine that every female in the world is a wealthy prom queen. That means they all wear Tory Burch sandals, act the like Kim K, spend most of their time perusing Snapchat, and have erroneous views about others as a whole. Meanwhile, the majority of males in the world would find the very idea of this to be entirely boring and monotonous, as each man’s relationship would be quite scripted and ritualistic. After all, not every man in this world is on the hunt for a Marilyn Monroe. Some prefer a Jackie Kennedy.

The idea which I'm trying to convey is that it's okay to be who you were meant to be. The only time being different hurts you is when you show that you're not confident in who you are and what you stand for. Someone who I genuinely strive to mimic is my uncle. He's successful and happy because he loves who he is, and in return, others around him feel that love and admire him greatly.

Some of us are lucky enough to be born with natural acceptance from the public. Examples of these kinds of people are the children of professional athletes, Hollywood movie moguls, and big business tycoons. The rest of us end up feeling as if we've received the short end of the stick. This, however, is far from the truth. Being born apart from a typical social group gives people the chance to pave their own way. The point of our existence is to find our strengths and weaknesses through the expression of our own individual qualities. If we follow the crowd, we lose this gift, and we find ourselves even more lost than before. Just as Robert Frost so wholeheartedly implied, sometimes it's best to take the road less traveled.

Be happy with who you are. You were made how you are because your differences are meant to impact the world in a positive light. We all have so many gifts to give to each other, and it's up to us as individuals to distribute those gifts. Whether you are an anxious incoming freshman or a resilient, hardworking senior, own up to your skills. College is your time to shine. Be true to yourself, and others will, in turn, be true to you.