Dear Bryant University Student Body,
I’ve been on campus for about two months now and I’ve still been getting a lot of this.
So let’s just get this out of the way and set the record straight – no, I don’t have cancer. Surprise! I can imagine all your gasps and confused looks.
If you’re wondering I have an auto-immune disease called Alopecia, which makes all my hair fall out, but I’m actually perfectly healthy. So please, everyone, don’t worry about me.
But enough with the heavy stuff. I’m writing this to quell your fear that I’m about drop dead on the ground in front of you in the line for Nick’s. And no, I am neither Hazel Grace (I know that’s your reference) nor do I have a Bucket List of crazy things I need to do. I am not mid-chemo nor did I shave my head for fun. And although as a bald girl I do have certain perks; an impeccable knowledge of hats, never having to shave (I can hear your jealousy), and having 20 minutes extra minutes for my morning routine, being bald isn’t what defines me. I am me, just Kiersten. Not that cancer girl. Not that bald girl. Just me.
So what does define me?
My family, my friends, my lifestyle, my aspirations.
Who am I?
Someone who’s strong, empathic, hard-working, loving. Someone who doesn’t let any definition keep me from being who I want to be or who I could be.
So I challenge you to think about this: Who are you? I know it’s a question that’s so often asked of us, but coming from personal experience I ask you to just think about it. Don’t let the world and people around you do all the defining because most likely they won’t get it right. And while you’ll never get the perfect answer, you’ll find out a lot about yourself along the way to being the person that you want to be.