I have written this a million and a half times since the 7th grade. I have changed every line, cried at every memory, and laughed at how utterly stupid I must look sitting at the tables outside the cafe right now wiping tears away and shoving a piece of pizza into my face. I never truly understood myself until I took the time to reflect on who I was as a person. So here goes nothing.

Who is McKenzie Hansley?

I decided to ask some very important people in my life to describe me, upon asking my parents they replied with a brave, determined, and beautiful young lady, then after a few moments of not replying to my mother's text message, she said tall, awkward, and extremely pale.

When I asked my best friend Teagan, she said caring, amazing, and beautiful (love you so much Teags). Lastly, I decided to ask my boyfriend, who danced around the question, then replied with unique, caring, and complex (sorry Josh).

All throughout middle school, I was the “quiet girl” who walked to class with my head down and did not speak up in class. In fact, I was almost trying to make myself completely invisible all because of some words someone posted about me anonymously.

To make a long story short, I was cyberbullied. I let these words define who I was and I let them confine me to a box that I wasn’t sure I would ever break out of. I started to believe the things that were being posted about me and throughout this experience, I lost the best part of myself. I slowly started to become someone I no longer recognized.

But, I found a way out of that box, and believe it or not, that was competing in pageants. Now, most people would not have imagined me of all people to do a pageant. I was the utter opposite of a “pageant queen”. However, my parents decided to let me compete and I am so thankful they did.

I have learned so much from competing. Pageants force me out of my comfort zone and brought new life to me. I found that I love to volunteer, be onstage and that I did in fact like talking to people (hmm who knew). I became more open and self-aware, and I realized, that I was indeed a pretty awesome human being!

So if you were asking me who is McKenzie Hansley, I would say a quirky, loving, compassionate, awkward, different, and most importantly unapologetically herself.

McKenzie Hansley has the ability to make others feel important because, at one time, she knew what it felt like to be nothing. She cares deeply for the well being of others because she knows what it is like to feel hated. She is quirky because sometimes she breaks out into a British accent, makes puns in the grocery store, eats an entire pizza by herself, and yes, even laughs at her own jokes.

McKenzie is 100% herself, and after years of fighting that, she finally realized that she likes who she is. She is someone I am proud to be, and I think I am going to keep her around for a little while.