Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.

"You need to chill," my supervisor said when I asked if there was anything else I could help with. As he said that, he air-patted my shoulders as if to comfort a lost child in the desert. I was mystified and blurted out "okay, sure!" a little too eagerly. Behind my enthusiastic facade, I was hyper-aware that in the conversations among my colleagues I was simply the 'girl helping out, or something.' It was a reasonable comment since I was essentially a kid managing other four- to twelve-year-olds in a week-long music camp, but it still made me feel incredibly insecure about my role.

Despite my desperation to showcase my competency at managing the children by teaching them Do-Re-Mi, I still got mistaken for one of them. Eyes darted at me as I went t...