It’s Okay to Take Your Time by maria

It’s Okay to Take Your Time by maria - July 2025 Scholarship Essay

If I could give one piece of advice to my past self, it would be “Give yourself time to adjust you don’t have to have it all figured out right away.”

When I moved from Venezuela to the United States at just ten years old, my world flipped upside down overnight. I didn’t speak the language, didn’t understand the culture, and was grieving the loss of my sister, who had just passed away after a tragic car accident. I was overwhelmed, confused, and felt like I didn’t belong anywhere. I remember constantly comparing myself to others—wishing I could speak perfect English, understand the jokes my classmates laughed at, or just feel “normal” in a place that felt foreign.

Looking back, I wish I could have told myself to slow down and be gentle. Healing, learning, and growing take time. That not knowing everything right away doesn't mean you’re failing—it just means you’re human. I wish I had known that the very things that made me feel out of place—my culture, my experiences, my perspective—would one day become my strengths.

That advice would’ve saved me a lot of stress and self-doubt. But more importantly, it would’ve helped me understand that it’s okay to not be okay right away. It would’ve helped me see that being different doesn’t mean being less. I now know that my resilience, my journey, and my identity are sources of strength, not shame.

If I could speak to that younger version of myself, I’d remind her that she’s doing better than she thinks. That she will eventually find her voice, her community, and her purpose. And most importantly, that it’s okay to take her time.