To all of the seniors in high school I have three powerful words to remind you of, you are enough. You are halfway done with the school year and you have many choices to make. For some, you are hearing the message from flawed educational systems that you are not enough.
When I was in high school, every college visit would end with me sniffling/crying on the way home in the car because I knew that I had no chance of attending the school. My grades never made honor roll, my test scores were not high enough, and I was not enough. I tried to tell myself, “You don’t want this anyway,” but it wasn’t the truth. I would’ve given anything to go to the University of Kansas last fall.
If you had asked me 10 years ago what I would be doing after high school, I would tell you that without a doubt I would be attending Wichita State University and be in the School of Engineering. If you had told me last May what I was going to do after graduation, I would hesitantly tell you I was going to get my certification in makeup. What has changed in the past 10 years? Me believing that I am not enough. Believing that I am only bound to the options of community college or technical school. Believing that I’m not going to do anything great because college didn’t accept me.
Besides my mom, nobody ever told me that I still have value, even though colleges didn’t like my grades. This is what I am here to tell you. Regardless of how many schools have or have not accepted you, You ARE — valuable, enough, and you are going to do great things! A grade is only a number and does not define you.
Good luck class of 2017!
Love, Lama-Leah
lamaleah.com 