Identity over Conformity by Sean

Identity over Conformity by Sean - December 2024 Scholarship Essay

I remember touching my freshly twisted hair, feeling prepared to make a good first impression at King Abdullah Academy—the school my friends and I had looked forward to since 8th grade due to its academics and athletics. Not a day went by without talking to my parents about how excited I was to attend the school next year.

The first step into the school, its high ceilings and clean, modern classrooms felt worlds apart from the small, dusty rooms of my middle school. My immigrant parents shared my excitement because they could give me the education that they never had in Kenya. As I walked through the halls with my friends Aydin and Keith, we chatted about all the activities we could participate in, such as Track and Red Cross Club.
At the end of the tour, I was taken aside by a staff member. I was told my twists violated the dress code. I was confused that others were allowed to keep their straight hair down, even longer than mine.
This moment shifted my perspective on what it meant to pursue an education. While the academics at King Abdullah Academy were undeniably strong, I realized that learning required more than textbooks and high-tech MakerSpace labs. It needs a sense of community. Later that week, I was shooting hoops with Aydin and Keith. We talked about how uncomfortable it would feel to go to a school that ignored the significance of our hair and we decided to enroll in our local school instead. Although the decision felt right to me, expressing my beliefs and convincing my parents was far more challenging, especially since they were so thrilled about the school. Two days later, I finally gathered the courage to bring it up over dinner.
At dinner, they were talking about how much they loved the school’s MakerSpace Lab. That is when I gained the courage to explain to them that I did not want to attend the school. My dad was against my plan because he did not see the reason for us to reject such a great opportunity only because of my hair. In Kenyan culture, students kept their hair short to promote “uniformity”. He told me he would have done anything to attend the school, explaining that out of six children, he was the only one his parents could afford to send to boarding school. My mom, however, was more supportive. She said that she had to follow the same rule when she was in primary school and that she never understood or liked that rule. She said she was supportive of my decision regardless of what I did. For days, my mom and I relentlessly tried to convince my dad to enroll in a different school, and eventually, he agreed to let me go elsewhere.
This experience reshaped my understanding of education. By choosing to attend a school that valued my identity, I created an environment where I could fully engage in learning without feeling out of place. I grew more confident in my values, and that confidence carried over to my academics. I joined my high school’s chapter of Red Cross Club, became a student ambassador, and even qualified for districts in varsity track. My exposure to this situation taught me that academic growth isn’t just about grades—it’s about being in a space where you feel seen and valued. It was the first time I had to make a big decision due to systemic racism, and navigating that choice showed me the power of self-advocacy.