The Shy GirlEver since I can remember, I was naturally quiet and shy. I was constantly repeating myself because people didn't hear me the first time. Even then, I rarely made eye contact with others. When I entered high school, nothing changed. Soon after, I didn't like the way my classmates viewed me. If someone had to make an announcement in class, I wasn't chosen; my classmates thought I wasn't vocal enough. If someone had a party, I wasn't invited because they thought "shy girls" wouldn't want to come. Most of my classmates attracted a lot of attention. No one was intentionally associated with me. Not only did my classmates view me as quiet and shy, but they also made me start to believe it. Shame, I wanted a way out. I wanted my words to stick with people. I wanted them to think, “Louisa said….” I tried to participate more in class and share my opinions, but it didn't help. Every time I made a comment, one of two things happened: I didn't get credit for my comment, or no one took me seriously. I felt helpless. The ninth grade production of The Tempest changed my life. My teacher, Ms. Massand, gave me a role in the play and I no longer seemed quiet and shy. Although Ms. Massand assigned the entire class a role in the play, she cast me as Stephano, the drunkard, a major role. His choice surprised me and my classmates. Stephano's character seemed so different from mine; he was loud and stupid. My first thought was, "How can a quiet girl like me play the role of a loud drunk?" » Until now, my classmates have convinced me that I am just quiet and shy. Now the play required me to show a different side of myself. We started the play by reading the text aloud and feeling comfortable with the scene...... middle of paper ...... I was walking around in a circle shouting: "Ban , ban, Ca-Caliban! » At the end of the performance, the audience was in heaven. Then, Ms. Massand greeted us individually. When it was my turn to bow, the audience gave me a standing ovation. I've never been so excited. As I was leaving the stage, almost all of my classmates stopped me to say, "Wow Louisa, you were the best!" At that moment, I realized that I could be loud, silly and talented. My performance in ninth grade in The Tempest made my final years in high school a success; playing and reciting Stephano's words made my growth in confidence possible. What I once thought was an eternal label of shyness finally proved to be removable. My classmates saw a different side of me and I was happy to no longer be labeled as a quiet, shy girl. That year I came in like a lamb and went out like a lion.