I fully depend on role models. I completely realize that this isn’t a healthy state of being, but I always strive to attain a certain quality of another person. Whether it be Emma Watson’s hair, my best friend’s laugh, or the stride of some stranger on the street, I derive inspiration everywhere and develop a sort of role model outlook. For better or worse, it’s how I roll.
My own psychological needs aside, my long-time role model has been a girl named Monica. Monica is a year older than myself (me being the precocious age of eighteen), and we actually attended the same Catholic grade school and high school. However, I didn’t become friends with her until I was a junior.
Monica is incredible. A self-proclaimed “Francophile frugalista," ultimate Frisbee enthusiast, lover of the sweet potato, and happy human being”, she continually astonishes me. One day is starting a high school organization that focuses on sustainable, local food, and the next day she is awing over Alexander McQueen’s latest collection. I can be sitting with her at a local bistro contemplating world issues, and then raving over our shared love of France and our future goal to travel there. She can save the world and immensely enjoy being a young adult all at the same time.
After we parted ways to go to different colleges, I found myself recently thinking about her again. I was contemplating transferring, and her current school was actually one of my top choices for university. Seeing that I didn’t receive a full-ride there like Monica did, it wasn’t as easy of an option. However, Monica gave me some advice on transferring to her school. She said, “I would just emphasize what makes YOU unique, something that somebody would look at your application and say, wow, how cool! They’ll be more impressed by seeing you did one really awesome things than lots of little things. Depth over breadth. And of course, having stellar grades doesn’t hurt either. If you have to write an essay, make sure you get YOUR voice across, not some fake-collegiate voice that you think they’d like to hear. Just let your personality shine through, and there will be no way they can say no!”
I had never encountered such a simple yet thought-provoking response. Just be me, and I can get into the dream school. Just be me, and I can surround myself with an inspiring world. Just be me, and I can change the world.
I never had more self-confidence in my life. I didn’t need to adopt bits and pieces from others to mold my identity. Of course, all artists partake in allusions and maybe have a muse or two down the road, but each being has a distinct style and approach to life. Although Catholic school instilled the sense of my uniqueness in God, I had never been struck with such a sentiment before. Maybe I could stand to shed my creativity more often.
College transfer applications aside, I can be confident for other reasons, to inspire others and give back to the world in ways that are unique to me. And maybe, just maybe, I can become that role model for someone else someday.
