Discovering Confidence in the Spotlight by Arnav

Discovering Confidence in the Spotlight by Arnav - January 2026 Scholarship Essay

Watching the flashing lights of the Bhangra dancers from behind the curtain, I felt my body pulsing with fear. Sweat beading down my face, I worried that when I stepped onstage, I would forget a crucial step or fall out of sync. As our Bollywood troupe scrambled for our places in the darkness, my knees wobbled. This wasn’t the first time stage fright had threatened to derail my performances. I closed my eyes and calmed my breathing, letting my thoughts drift back to the same sense of dread I felt when I first joined the Indian American Student Association.

As a shy, soft-spoken sophomore, I was often overwhelmed in unfamiliar social situations; so my anxiety peaked as I walked into a classroom packed with what seemed like every other Indian kid at Novi High. Even though I used to dance in my childhood—creating routines and practicing for performances with my friends for local festivals—I had never taken this fun pastime very seriously. To make matters worse, I had been placed in a group with older students whose charisma far surpassed my own. Watching their slick choreography and professionally-programmed light show, I was so intimidated that I almost quit the club.

Thankfully, I found the courage to face my social anxieties and improve my moves. Within a few weeks, I could keep up with everyone in my group, and soon my fears disappeared during rehearsals. If I made mistakes, I rejected any self-conscious thoughts and kept working hard, earning the respect of my teammates. Before others could trust me to perform at their level, I had to trust myself and the skills I had developed through practice and dedication.

The roar of the crowd suddenly returned me to the moment, and I took a deep breath, reminding myself that this was just like any other practice—audience or not. Jumping excitedly and slapping hands with my friends, I encouraged everyone, ”We got this! We got this!”

Lights, the dramatic intro video, upbeat music—every detail was perfect as we rushed onstage to the thumping drum beat. Recalling my moves with practiced confidence, I felt truly at one with everyone around me. A profound sensation of spiritual connection and artistic expression radiated from the stage, entrancing the audience. When the final beat hit and the crowd burst into applause, I realized that fear was just a sensation—as long as I trusted myself it couldn’t bring me down.

With the courage to believe in myself and the confidence that I could achieve anything with enough focused effort, I approached new challenges in my life with less anxiety and more enjoyment. Landing a job at Abercrombie, I walked in as a nervous, confused employee. However, after the trial and error of organizing clothes and greeting customers, I gained more experience. Unafraid to ask older co-workers for guidance, I gradually perfected my ability to provide reliable service and assistance. Similarly, during my internship at a software company, I was unsure of my required tasks, but I had a clear motive to learn from my mentors. Through daily meetings and questions, I asserted myself and engaged in conversations to better know my superiors. Much like dancing, once I gained confidence in my surroundings, my ability to inquire and contribute to our overall team greatly improved.

Dancing is a lot like life: If you’re too afraid to get out there and make a fool of yourself, you’ll never fully understand the human experience—or potentially discover your untapped abilities. By learning to face stage fright, I’ve unlocked my talents and discovered parts of my personality that I never knew existed before. The complex, confusing rhythms of the world can be intimidating, but as long as I keep dancing, I’ll always enjoy life’s unpredictable beats.