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My Story Guys I just joined this subreddit but I feel it is necessary to share my story directly taken from my college common app essay. Remember there is always hope:) The Bane of the Invisible Man From the day of my first word, both my parents knew that there was something very different about me. Each word came out of my mouth with unnecessary pauses and excessive tension. It felt like my jaws were held shut by the hands of a strong, invisible man. This man followed me everywhere, causing me intense embarrassment and anxiety. During my early days of schooling, I felt like I lived in the dark hole forged by this invisible man. I was an object of ridicule for my peers. The mortification I felt after every presentation made me wish that the invisible man was no longer invisible. If only my classmates could see this man’s strong grip, they would be more understanding. So I did whatever possible to make this man visible to the rest of the world. But, nothing was effective. Overtime, my self confidence declined and I began to seclude myself from my peers. Waking up and going to school felt like a never ending burden. However, upon reaching high school, I decided not to let the burden of the invisible man hold me back. The new environment of high school provided me with a clean slate. Never before had I felt such a strong desire to assimilate with my classmates and make friends. So instead of secluding myself, I took the initiative to introduce myself to classmates. In the beginning, students saw the effects of the invisible man and were reluctant to accept me. However, as time progressed, they began to realize my underlying personality and began to incorporate me into their friend group. Within no time, I had a supportive group of friends that wanted the best for me. With their presence, I began a new chapter in life, one of positivity and growth. And in this new chapter, I did not let the grip of the invisible man prevent me from expressing myself. When I was offered a position to mentor novice/prospective programmers, I feared the invisible man would hinder my ability to communicate with both my students and the other mentors. Every moment I taught, my heart throbbed in fear that the other mentors and my students would view me negatively. In spite of this fear, I put in extra effort to make sure the students walked away with perfect understanding of programming concepts. Compliments from my students made me realize that in spite of the invisible man, my ability to explain programming concepts was no different than the other mentors. The rewarding experience I had as I improved the lives of my peers inspired me to do more. Later that year, I joined a city-run hackathon planning committee where I worked my way up to head of communications. To effectively lead the communications team, I recognized early on that I must forgo fear of the invisible man and present myself as a confident person. With this mentality, I not only gained the respect of those who worked under me but I received countless praise from the other mentors and the vice president of the organization. It was at this point I learnt that despite of the invisible man, I have a powerful voice. For my 17 years on this planet, the invisible man and I have gone through many struggles together. But without these struggles I would not be the brave man I am today.