Scared Second Grader to Savy Senior Anonymous

Above my fireplace is a framed 8x10 photograph of me before my first day of second grade. A half smile limps across my face, at the request of my mother of course. I’m dressed in a brand new white Old Navy tank top; the scratchy lace and fit made me feel uncomfortable and self-conscious. Everything about the photo, even my smile, was forced.

I look at this photo now and it makes me cringe. I wish I could tell the little girl that things get better. I wish I could tell her that she will gain more confidence in herself throughout high school. I wish I could tell her that she will become comfortable socially. That is the girl I am now.

Everything changed when I began taking journalism during my sophomore year. This course demanded that I get comfortable talking to strangers, and I surprised myself with each interview. I went from writing a feature on the new gym teacher, to interviewing the principal about a recent bomb threat, to even calling Harvard University to challenge members of the admissions board on their foreign language requirement.

Today, I ask myself how I went from being afraid to raise my hand to snagging a face-to-face interview with a District Attorney. After a formal award ceremony I attended, hosted by our very...