In Elementary School, we always flaunted our A+'s to our friends and parents. Good grades were something to be proud of. In Middle School, we still flaunted our grades to our parents, but in school we would giggle about getting bad grades. In High School, things changed to where we weren't proud of our good grades anymore and often kept them hidden in an effort to avoid being bullied for being "too smart" or an "overachiever".

What caused this shift? What caused us to be ashamed of our grades? Why should we feel shame for working hard and achieving greatness?

I have always gotten good grades. It's something I'm not ashamed to admit anymore. I studied hard and a lot of things just came naturally to me. I was a straight A student for the majority of my primary education. I graduated with honors and as a NC Scholar (that means I took more courses than required by the state). I passed my ACT with a 32 (3 points away from perfection). My teacher's loved me because I showed them the respect they deserved and always tried to work harder than everybody else just to prove I had the determination to overcome anything that stood in my way. I was bullied for a long time because of this, but then I came to college.

In college, your good grades are celebrated by your peers. You don't get a pat on the back from the professor in front of the entire class and nobody is staring over your shoulder to see if you did better. But if somebody asks what you got on a really difficult test and you proudly say "98%!" compared to their 74%, you will still be met with congratulations and even asked for help.

College has taught me many things, but this is one of my favorite lessons. Knowing that I can finally be proud of my hard-work and be happy that sometimes I don't have to study for a test because the information comes naturally to me is one of the best feelings in the world. I don't have to be afraid of making Dean's List. That's a huge achievement and people celebrate with you when you are able to work hard and make those grades! In primary school, I was afraid to be smart. Now, I take full acceptance of my intelligence and have huge pride in myself for studying and having open communication with my professors to be the best student I can be.