Everyone loves the tale of the underdog. There’s something so satisfying about watching the undermined character rise and take power in the thing everyone had doubted that in. Our school has shown to enjoy this trope, too, likely because many students resonate with being doubted.

“Some people look at me like I’m stupid,” an anonymous student explained. “It makes me mad because I work hard for my grades, they’re just not always the best. That doesn’t mean that I don’t have my own passions that I excel at. I know that, if they just talked to me more, they would realize I’m not as dumb as they thought.”

Of course, there’s nothing right with being doubted. The implicit bias that pre-exists against some of us is hard to defeat. But being doubted doesn’t change the truth about the passions of the people, about the skill and determination.

Being the first girl in decades to attend ALA Girls State is an experience, too. Many of the girls who attend come from a well-off background. The opportunities at their school are surplus, thanks to loads of funding. (And that’s not to say our school doesn’t have great opportunities. Montclair does, they’re simply not well represented at times, though.). The girls who attend are the highest of their class, often nominated by a teacher. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with this, but there is definitely a disconnect between someone who has nearly every opportunity in the world and someone who is still trying to find some.

To a degree, some look down on you. But that’s enough to want to exceed what they expect. Not to prove them wrong, but to prove yourself right. To prove that a person doesn’t need every opportunity in the world to succeed. To prove that a person’s passion and determination is enough. And that’s what underdogs do best.