Confidence is Key by Bria

Confidence is Key by Bria - January 2026 Scholarship Essay

It was only a few days ago when one of my close friends told me that she admired the confidence I expressed around others. It was a subtle compliment she slipped into our casual conversation, but as someone who has struggled with feeling confident in herself for a long time, it meant more than she would ever know. It was later that night, when I was thinking about what she had said, that I realized that I truly had grown more confident in myself in the past few months. This past August, I began my first semester of college which was exciting and nerve wracking at the same time. Needless to say, such a big transition in my life would require more confidence than I was used to. While most of it was natural, during my middle and high school years I found myself worried about little things and having space in my head reserved for silly moments from the past. I used to cringe at embarrassing experiences I had and dumb jokes I used to make. I held myself to such a high standard that I would forget that I was allowed to make mistakes and a dumb joke from time to time. Something that has really helped me develop into the person I am today is the saying, “If it won’t matter in five years, it shouldn’t matter in five minutes.” This has taught me that those awkward or cringe moments I couldn’t seem to let go, were irrelevant and didn’t deserve my time of day. Over the past few months, I have been able to laugh off trivial moments in my life. Something my newfound confidence has also helped me with is confrontation of others. One of my biggest struggles growing up has been wanting to please and have the approval of others. I had a harder time than most expressing how I truly felt, because I was afraid I would lose someone over it. Fortunately, that fixed mindset has changed. I am proud to say that I have found myself openly expressing how I feel in the moment and confronting others about topics that had been bothering me. Through my confrontation, I’ve realized my relationships with others have been more honest and overall healthier. It made me so happy to know that someone noticed my growth in self-confidence and I hope that through my actions, I can encourage others to do the same.