For most of my life, I was introverted and tended to shy away from cultural events. O often hated that side of my culture.

One day during my sophomore year of high school, I reluctantly registered for an event hosted by one of my cultural organizations. A week before the event was scheduled, I still had no idea what it was about…

One of the organizers messages me to let me know that the event I signed up for was actually a pageant. I tried to delete my registration right away. However, my parents encouraged me to give it a try, so I decided to go through with it.

The day of the event finally came, and I was terrified, as it was completely out of my comfort zone. But I reminded myself that you have to try everything at least once before you can decide if you like it. I participated in the pageant, and to my surprise, I placed 1st in the state and advanced to nationals. At the national level, I didn’t make the top 3, which left me feeling discouraged and led me back into my introverted shell.

After the pageant, I was approached by several people who invited me to participate in designer fashion shows and more pageants. I was thrilled but still hesitant to commit with the fear I might disappoint myself. Despite all that, I decided to step out of my comfort zone and continued to participate in pageants and fashion shows.

Now, as a freshman in college, I've won three state pageants and one national pageant. I've participated in multiple fashion shows, become a brand ambassador, and have been featured in several cultural articles.

I’ve never been more in love with my culture and continue to embrace it more each day. I’m so thankful I stepped out of my comfort zone and discovered a side of myself I didn’t know existed.