https://padlet.com/siwar_shehadeh_614/245tzt7902bb 4/6 en-us 2020-01-09 17:21:43 UTC 2025-12-24 21:49:43 UTC hello@padlet.com siwar_shehadeh_614 https://padlet.com/siwar_shehadeh_614/245tzt7902bb/wish/429655209 Being who you are makes you stand out from everyone else, and it gives you character.]]> 2020-01-09 18:55:32 UTC https://padlet.com/siwar_shehadeh_614/245tzt7902bb/wish/429655209 siwar_shehadeh_614 https://padlet.com/siwar_shehadeh_614/245tzt7902bb/wish/429656720 In first grade I was a really shy person because it was my first year in America and I didn't know anybody. Sofia came up to me on the first day of first grade and asked if I wanted to play with her during recess, and of course I said yes. I didn't want to seem weird by acting my true self around her in fear of her leaving me so I tried acting "cool". I was like this until she said we were best friends and from that moment on I was myself around her, I felt more comfortable, and we grew closer because of that.

By being myself I felt more comfortable and we had a stronger bond than any other time in our friendship. It soon made her be more of herself around me. Of course it made a great impact on me when she moved away in 2nd grade.]]> 2020-01-09 18:57:45 UTC https://padlet.com/siwar_shehadeh_614/245tzt7902bb/wish/429656720 siwar_shehadeh_614 https://padlet.com/siwar_shehadeh_614/245tzt7902bb/wish/430110466 In fourth grade I met my best friend, gabby, on the playground, but we weren't really friends until I found out she moved into my apartment complex. I saw her on a golf cart taking a tour around when I screamed her name and started running towards her to say hi. She looked at me and said "Siwar? Siwar! Hi!" I finally caught up to her and she told me she moved here and that she lives in building one. That's when I lit up because that's where I lived too. I told her my apartment and she said OK and we went our separate ways. Later that day she came by my apartment to ask if I wanted to hang, it was pretty late but since it was the weekend I could. We talked and talked until it was time for me to go. Ever since then we would hang out anytime we could and we would be weird together. We never lied to each other about who we were. I felt like I could be myself around her because she was like me too.

If I hadn't screamed out her name and ran to catch up with her we probably wouldn't be friends right now. If I wasn't being weird like I usually am I wouldn't have gone through elementary school the same way without her.  ]]> 2020-01-10 17:24:57 UTC https://padlet.com/siwar_shehadeh_614/245tzt7902bb/wish/430110466 siwar_shehadeh_614 https://padlet.com/siwar_shehadeh_614/245tzt7902bb/wish/430127631 In 7th grade I moved to Frisco, which was kinda weird since I lived in Allen for more than half of my life. It was the first day of middle school for me in a new city so I was pretty nervous. I thought if I acted myself I wouldn't make any friends and everyone would just think I was weird, soon I met Kalie and after a few days I found out she was just like me and she wasn't afraid to show it. That's when I realized that I shouldn't care what everyone thought of me, so pretty soon I acted more like myself and that made me more outgoing which got me even more friends than when I wasn't acting like myself.

Seeing other people be themselves made me realize that, if they don't care what other people think of them then why should I? I honestly think I should have realized this a long time ago than just now, but it's better now than later. If I didn't care what others thought then I wouldn't have found my confidence.]]> 2020-01-10 17:51:28 UTC https://padlet.com/siwar_shehadeh_614/245tzt7902bb/wish/430127631 https://padlet.com/siwar_shehadeh_614/245tzt7902bb/wish/430534225 2020-01-12 21:33:09 UTC https://padlet.com/siwar_shehadeh_614/245tzt7902bb/wish/430534225