I found it really hard to figure out what to write for my college essay because I live so many different lives. The person I am at home is not the same as the person I am at dance or school, but they all make up me. So, I found a way to connect all of my sides to give the readers a better understanding of who I am. I submitted this essay to all of the colleges I applied to and next year I am going to be attending Boston University for Computer Science with a minor in dance.
To most, shoes are just protection for their feet, so that they are shielded from tiny pebbles or wet mud. But to me, shoes are amazing storytellers. Each pair in my otherwise unusual and unique shoe collection—whether my worn out Vans from my everyday activities or my various heels that are reserved for my more special events—tells a story of my life. From helping children find their first pair of shoes to dancing on stage in my pointe shoes, I’ve learned that shoes are more than just footwear.
When it comes to sneakers, I get attached to one pair to take me through an era in my life. For a while it was my Vans, but after some time I realized I needed a change. I needed a new pair of shoes to tell my story for a new chapter in my life. So, after getting my first job at FootLocker, I took it as a sign to get new shoes. Those Air Maxes I bought carried me through a particularly hard time as I learned how to transition to working an ‘adult’ job. They helped me learn how to navigate the labyrinth of the stock room and brought me out of my comfort zone as I learned how to effectively communicate with customers. Even now, they are bringing me through my transition from childhood to adulthood as they help me write my college essay and finish out my last year of highschool.
On the other hand, while my sneakers represent different stages of my life, my heels blend those lines. When I was a kid, I was obsessed with my Disney Princess heels. Now that I am becoming an adult, I am still obsessed with all of the heels I own. I love heels because they make me feel more confident. For example, I bought sparkly silver heels to go with my peacock blue Sherri Hill prom dress. They made me feel perfect. However, people at school weren’t used to my more confident side. At school, I hated being wrong. I have a perfectionist tendency to not want to ask questions or to fail. But when you’re confident, as those heels clank across the floor, all of that goes away. I could have fun with my friends without caring whether it was correct or what was expected of me. My heels taught me to embrace myself as I had the best time at prom not caring about what others think, but about how I feel. This newfound confidence is what has allowed me to push myself into areas outside my comfort zone, such as going to my job interview or helping to teach a younger kids dance class.
My favorite pair of shoes, though, are the ones that tell my favorite story. Those are my pair of Jason Smith verdigris green tap shoes I got as a gift for my 16th birthday. They were my prize for teaching myself tap. They replaced my cheap pair of tap shoes that got me through the blood, sweat, and tears while learning tap combinations from Youtube in my basement on a wooden board. Putting my green pair on made me feel like a professional. Like all of my dedication and hardwork meant something. However, those shoes still have an ongoing story as they still have to carry me through my senior solo and my last recital after 16 years.
Most importantly, as I continue to navigate life, I look forward to creating new stories with each pair of shoes that I own. Whether it’s the shoes that walk me across the stage at graduation or the ones that I put on to take me to my first college class. These shoes will signify new beginnings. My shoes have guided me well in the past, and I trust them to guide me through my future too.
