In the almost year and a half that I've been in college, I can proudly say that I'm performing very well in all realms-- grades, involvement, maturing, making friends, etc. But as it does in conversation, high school comes up. When this subject arises I immediately recall my academic struggles, and the person I was back then.

The reason I cringe so much when I talk about high school now is because of all of the various moments when I felt less worthy because of my grades and class rank; for the moments when I felt not intelligent enough.

I just want to write an open letter to anyone who ever made me feel unworthy in high school because I didn't graduate in the top ten percent of my class; to those who gave me a look of pity when they heard my SAT scores; to those who made me feel like I wouldn't be successful because of a number.

Dear [You know who you are],

I hope you realize that the presumptions you made about me based off of a number on a piece of paper made you look like the idiot.

I am a college sophomore who will be registering as a junior in the Spring semester because I received AP credit in 8th grade for Spanish and received art credit from my International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma. Much of my education is payed for with scholarship that I worked ruthlessly for.

I ended my freshman year of college having successfully completed a leadership program that enabled my to travel to Chicago and collaborate on service project. I held two jobs, one of which was writing weekly for my university newspaper, Hilltop Views. I was a part of volunteering service and attended a week long leadership retreat. I became a university tour guide and started writing for an online publication, The Odyssey Online.

In my sophomore year so far, I proudly hold the highly sought after position as a Resident Assistant (RA) for freshman in Basil Moreau Hall. As an RA, I am lucky enough to serve as a student mentor and leader to 43 freshman. I am one of 12 other RAs who work for an incredible team to build community in St. Edward's University residence life. I am an intern at Texas Monthly magazine-- as a sophomore. I still write for Hilltop Views and The Odyssey Online, but I am now a contributing editor for the Odyssey. I held the position of one of the members of the Home Support Team for the Freshman Escape retreat here at my university. And, I recently got one of the positions as Logistic Chair for the Change Institute Committee here at St. Ed's.

And as I side note, I did and do all of this while maintaining a killer GPA.

Now, this was not said to showboat or to brag about all I have accomplished. I don't need your approval-- I know that I am doing great things.

I want you to notice that the successes I've had during my short time in college is not because I graduated valedictorian in high school. It is not because I received honor roll every single six weeks. It is not because I had a perfect SAT or ACT score. It's because I saw something I wanted and I worked for it.

In the past, I let you govern how I looked at myself. I prayed for so long that I could become a straight A student looking to pursue math and science so that I could be deemed acceptable by you. I let you manipulate my insecurities to the point of almost giving up-- but you did not succeed.

I truly and 100 percent believe that success and happiness is determined by the person and their drive-- not because of what a number deems acceptable.

Good grades are important and necessary. However, I guarantee you that I will be high achieving and successful because I want to; when I see something I want I go after it with a relentless passion.

So, to those who made me sit in the back of the auditorium because I didn't received honor roll, thank you.

Thank you for motivating more than any number ever will.

I'm writing this to show anyone who might feel something similar in college to not let your past define you. Don't hold on to high school so tightly; let college be your new beginning.

I could have let my failures in high school create the same reality in college; but I decided to start anew and let all of that go.

Take the reins of your life and don't let what others say dictate your future.

Sincerely,

Elizabeth