"You have to figure out 'who am I?' 'What do I want to do?' 'What do I want to say?' Ryan Eggold

I have changed. Everyone has changed. Is change a bad thing? In my opinion, it isn't. Change can mean many things. Growth, retreat, power, love. So why do I sit here reflecting on who I've become and who I used to be? The answer is easy... Because I was not proud of who I have become, until now.

Just a few short months ago, I was letting everyone walk all over me, while I was stepping on eggshells trying to please others. Huge mistake on my part. But at least I know better now, right? I have been called many names to my face, behind my back, if you can think of it, I have probably been called it. But to be honest, it doesn't bother me. I have owned who I am, not who people think I am. I embrace my witty, goofy, sarcastic, always making people laugh, bold self. In the words of Taylor Swift, "Haters gonna hate hate hate hate hate," right?

After years of trying to figure out who I wanted to be, I can say now that although I am still figuring it all out, I know who I used to be and have changed in some amazing ways. From being quiet, obedient to everyone, and blending in the background, I have turned into the loud, says it like it is, standing out from the crowd, type of woman. When someone tells you how you should be, think about who YOU want to be, not what others want. If you spend your life trying to please others, you'll have lived a long, tiring, dull life.

Obviously everyone has haters. I do. You do. We all do. So why do we care so much about what they think and what they say? We always say it doesn't matter, but deep down to us, it does. We want to be loved and accepted for who we are, not the stupid stuff we used to do. I have made many mistakes in my 21 years of life, but that’s what life is about. Falling down and getting right back up (I have become a pro at this). From being the meek, quiet girl, to the bold, badass I am now, I appreciate what I have gone through because it’s made me who I am today.

I never thought college would have taught me so much about myself, but here we are, senior year and looking back I have experienced so much. I learned not just about history, math, science and literature, but who I am as a person. My dad recently asked me, "Kate, how have you done this? How have you succeeded through college like this?" I answered, "I have no idea. I learned a lot, but it wasn't easy."

After the tears, drama, sadness, happiness, anger, frustration, pride and love. I know that my past has shaped me into who I am today. Don't let your past or someone else define you, you define you. I finally have accepted that all the pain and hurt wasn't for nothing, it was for something so much greater.