I absolutely despise self-hate talk but I struggle with it everyday. Blame it on the media, blame it on how I was raised, but self hate is something that I think about everyday. I will be the first person to walk into a room where I don't know anyone and have fun getting to know people, I am the first person in line to get food at any sort of function. Confidence is not my issue. It's loving myself.

Being on a college campus, we have such an opportunity for change. There are a ridiculous amount of clubs to join or petitions to sign but I first want to start with changing myself.  I want to look in the mirror and be so happy with who I see, whether I am in sweatpants without makeup, or my favorite pair of letters.

1. When you leave in the morning, or walk past a mirror think to yourself, "Today I look good." While this is super cheesy and not meant to be embarrassing, it is important to acknowledge your physical looks. Every single person at Virginia Tech is a beautiful person and you need to acknowledge that. Give yourself a break and appreciate what you see in the mirror. You may want a lighter hair color, to lose a few pounds, or maybe to fix that one part of your nose, but you are wrong. You my friend, our gorgeous.

2. When you walk into a room, automatically assume everyone there wants to be friends. My grandmother always told me, if you go into a room picking yourself apart, you are just asking others to do so. So walk into a room being open and accepting of yourself and the people around you. You can honestly learn something different from every single person and you might even end up leaving with a new great friend.

3. Never be afraid to be yourself. This is the one that I most often struggle with. I fight my curly hair to be straight, and I am prone to being so critical of myself that I turn inward and miss out on making someone laugh. Some people say that accepting yourself is key but as far as I am concerned I don't believe that for a hot minute. You do have to accept yourself, but you must love yourself enough to show the world how awesome you are. 

So I know this girl. She is smart, sarcastically funny, loves ice cream despite being lactose intolerant, has a nightly bedtime of 10:30pm, is caring, has great hair, and this girl is me. While I struggle with all three things listed above, deep down I love myself because I am unique. 

We have our own set of interests, life experiences, and come from such different backgrounds. Let's support each other and ourselves individually.