Shaved Bold Anonymous

In the spring of my second year of high school, I shaved my head in front of the entire school. Yes, it was for a greater cause than my own teenage restlessness, but I cannot confidently say it was for that sole reason. In a way, this act of careful rebellion was a combination of doing something generous for others and doing something endlessly important for myself.

Trudging through the mundanity that I felt in my tenth year of education, I knew then that I needed a change, and I was ready for it to be drastic. Discovering my school’s St. Baldrick’s fundraiser was the perfect solace; it allowed me to fill myself with higher purpose for a few months of raising money and would conclude with a pep rally where I would get my head shaved in front of 3,600 students and faculty. I knew this was exactly the kind of rewarding experience for which I was previously yearning.

For two months, I carried around a decorated donations box, asking for change in every class from my peers and teachers. I had an online donations page that I religiously checked every day after school, observing the overwhelming growth of financial support as family and friends shared my page over social media.

One day, my mom asked to have a talk with me, proposing...