Judging a Book by it's Cover by Tyleke

Judging a Book by it's Cover by Tyleke - February 2026 Scholarship Essay

One of the worst habits I had when entering my freshman year of high school was associating with people based on their looks. Transitioning from middle school to high school was a big adjustment for me, as I found myself in a new environment filled with unfamiliar faces and more people than before. As a freshman, my understanding of high school was shaped mostly by what I had seen in movies and TV shows, which, by the way, is not at all accurate. Having played sports all my life and being athletic, I expected to fit into the typical "jock" or "cool kid" stereotype that I had seen on TV. However, as I walked into school my first week, I quickly realized that high school was nothing like that. Yes, there were groups of kids considered "cooler" than others, and some small cliques or groups that I thought I wanted to be a part of because they appeared "cool" or were more known than others. As my freshman year progressed and I began to meet some of these cool kids, I began to realize that they were not the type of friends I wanted. So, I decided to seek out new friends and started talking to people I had previously avoided because I thought they were weird, nerdy, or emo looking. As I began to branch out and meet new people and make new friends, I realized that I related more to these new friends than to the ones I aspired to hang out with. The friends I made during this time turned out to be the ones I stayed close with throughout all four years of high school, and I still keep in touch with them today. Meeting these new friends helped me break the habit of judging others based on their appearance. I learned that regardless of how someone looks, dresses, or maybe even smells, everyone has their own story, and I should never not talk to someone based on their appearance.