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Sanchez Briana

ERWC

Block 6

Ms. Kopaitich

14 November 2018

“Personal Statement”

Obstacles and challenges in our path will always occur. What’s important is the way we

overcome those challenges and the lesson we gain from them. Although they may seem tough

and can be very devastating, it just happens to be that you may become a stronger person. I was

once bullied, and it affected me in a plethora of ways. All those years that I suffered from

bullying have constructed the achieving and determined person I am today.

As I entered first grade, I began developing dental issues. Other classmates began to

question me, “why are your teeth shaped in such a way?” My only response would be, “I don’t

know.” I was only six years old and was traumatized with the mentality that I was always going

to be bullied for the rest of my life. I had so many nicknames such as, “bunny teeth,” “gopher

teeth,” “horse teeth,” and they made me feel like the ugliest girl there could possibly be on this

planet! Not only would they name-call, but they would also stare at me, which made me become

embarrassed of my appearance. My classmates would laugh at me and mock me every time I

talked. I felt that everytime they name-call me, they would do it with so much hate and derision.

I would go home crying and as I approached a mirror, I asked myself, “why do I have to go

through this? When is this going to stop?” This occured for six years! Six years of being bullied,

caused me to be
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insecure, and lacked confidence. The consequences of this, were not wanting to attend school

with the same enthusiasm I used to have. I was afraid of going to school and was also afraid of

my friends. I honestly disliked my appearance so much and wasn't satisfied with how my teeth

looked at all. I can definitely say that all those bullies took my happiness away, as well as my

everyday smile.

Eventually, the six years passed, and I was now in seventh grade. During this year, I was

finally eligible to begin the braces process; I couldn't be any happier! I got my braces, and began

noticing that students were becoming more respectful towards me. They weren’t name- calling

me anymore. Getting braces was a huge step I took in overcoming this challenge. But before

getting braces, my mom would always support me with her affectionate words, in order to help

heal my emotional pain. She knew what I was going through and would tell me to notify the

teacher every time someone name- called me or laughed at me because of my dental issues. I

definitely listened to her advice and would alert the teacher of the situation that was occurring.

Although the teacher discipline the bullies, they would continue to bully me every day. Until one

day, I decided to stand up for myself. At the moment, I was quite surprised that I was capable of

confronting the bullies. I realized that I had the courage to do so and was confronting one of my

biggest fears.

Overall, it was a horrible experience to go through bullying for so many years. I gained

knowledge and learned that you should speak up for yourself in any situation. The day I stood up

for myself was the day that I had taken my first step in overcoming this challenge. I also learned

that we shouldn’t let anyone lower our self-esteem. A person’s words shouldn’t ruin your goals
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because sometimes your failure is another person’s happiness. No matter how much you feel like

giving up, you should continue to be persistent in order to be successful. A challenge like this

made me realize that, I was capable of overcoming multiple challenges without giving up.

Being bullied is not something that I would desire anyone to go through. It was a very

difficult challenge, not only for me, but also my parents. Those six years were the most

miserable years of my life. I am glad that I was capable of realizing that not one single human

should crush somebody’s dreams or goals. All those words that once made me feel less important

and insecure, today give me the strength to be competitive as well as mentally prepared to face

new challenges. I will face those challenges optimistically and overcome them successfully with

a smile on my face, that one smile that once was taken away from me.