"The fear of looking stupid is holding you back" by Kyra

"The fear of looking stupid is holding you back" by Kyra - July 2025 Scholarship Essay

If I could give one piece of advice to my past self, it would be this: The fear of looking stupid is holding you back.
For so long, I let fear silence me. I would stay quiet even when I had something important to say, too scared of what people might think if I stumbled over my words or did not have all the answers. I would want to raise my hand but would not out of fear of being wrong and embarrassing myself, only for another person to raise theirs with the same answer and receive praise. I equated making a mistake with being inadequate, and I believed it was better to be invisible than to risk embarrassment. That fear did not just hold back my voice, it held back my potential. For far too long.
But the truth is, looking “stupid” is not nearly as dangerous as staying small. Growth only happens when you are willing to be seen and to sometimes fail forward.
One of the most defining moments in shifting that mindset happened at Texas Girls State. We had the chance to run for mock state offices, and since it was drawing closer to the end of camp, most girls played it safe and ran for county positions to go home with something. I considered that. I mean, it was the easier path: less competition, less pressure. I almost chose it too. But something in me said I would not be satisfied knowing I could have reached higher.
So I ran for State Land Commissioner, a competitive statewide race. I did not know if I would win. In fact, I knew I probably would not. But I gave it everything I had. I stood in front of 300 girls and delivered the biggest speech of my life. My heart was pounding, and my hands were shaking. But I brought the energy. I got the crowd loud, cheering, and smiling. I made the runoffs, and although I did not win the election, I won something far more valuable: I learned how to command a room. I learned how to show up with confidence, even when the outcome was uncertain. I learned that courage is not the absence of fear, it is the decision to rise anyway.
Since that moment, I have carried those lessons with me. I have testified in front of lawmakers. I have co-founded an organization that advocates for students in underserved communities. I have spoken on panels, led district-level events, and represented voices often overlooked. None of that would have happened if I had stayed afraid of “looking stupid.”
To my past self, I would say this: You are allowed to be noticed. You are allowed to be unsure. You are allowed to learn as you go. But do not let fear convince you that your silence is safer than your voice. Because every time you speak up, even when it is scary, you get stronger.
Confidence did not come from perfection. It came from risk. Being real sometimes means saying the wrong thing, or stumbling, or not getting the vote. But it also means growing into someone bold enough to try again.
I wish I could go back to the girl I used to be. I would tell her: You are not stupid for trying. And you never have to be perfect to make an impact.
The fear of looking stupid might never fully disappear. But the more you challenge it, the smaller it gets. And on the other side of that fear is everything you are capable of becoming.
I now encourage others to speak up, even when your voice shakes. Go for the bigger stage, even if your odds are small. Let yourself be seen, even if it is uncomfortable. That is where the real transformation begins.