There are times when I look in the mirror and have no idea what reflection I'm looking at. I often change my personality based on the people I hang out with. I spend a lot of time alone trying to figure out what's going on in my head. Answering the question of who I am is not easy. As I sit here and write, I think back. I have gone through many phases and almost all of them have passed with time. To write about who I am as an individual, I need to think about the past and present, as well as my future and goals. There are so many seemingly insignificant things that happen in life that we don't realize have affected us greatly. My past was one of many struggles. I'm not ashamed to say it. I am aware that many people have lived worse than me, but that does not lessen my problems. My past has shaped me, but it does not define me. Since I was a child I have faced emotional problems. Then I didn't understand why I would feel this way. I had a beautiful home, loving parents, basically everything a child could need. However, I always felt different from everyone else. I was afraid of things that typical kids weren't afraid of. People in my daily life made fun of me because I was afraid. I would also feel so irritated and frustrated at the drop of a hat. I said and did things I didn't mean and I couldn't control it. I remember when I was 7 years old sitting on the floor of my parents' bathroom with my knees pulled up to my chest, crying as I thought, "Why do I say and do these things?" I didn't understand what was going on in my head. I have always had a good relationship with my parents, which I am grateful for, but the rest of my family has caused me great love... middle of paper... let's go back to Vanden this year. I don't regret that decision in the slightest. I had the best time of my life. I don't think I've ever been happier. I have amazing friends who, whether they know it or not, have helped me recover beyond belief. We will be graduating soon and this fact is so unreal to me. If someone had told me three years ago that I would be graduating from Vanden with friends who really like me for who I am, I would have told them they were crazy. If someone had told me that I would finally be happy and strong, I would have told them they were crazy. So now I look to the future, something I never thought I'd say. I'm not the same person I was. So who am I? I am independent, I am ambitious, I care, I love, I am funny, I am confident and, above all, I am strong. That's who I am and I'm no longer ashamed of it.