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This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at UTM chapter.

As a society, we give beautiful people the highest value, and that’s just the way it is. Beautiful people usually have it the best off and get a leg up the competition simply because they are more physically attractive than another. All the cameras and the spotlights gravitate towards the prettiest in the room.

Don’t believe me? Look around us.

When was the last time the Homecoming Queen was not the prettiest girl in school? Has the love interest in a movie ever not been drop dead gorgeous, had flawless skin and had the most luscious hair?

I think that is messed up, and I am so sick of it.

Movies, pop culture and social media are giving not only young kids, but also college students misconceptions of what is beautiful, and what we as a society deem beautiful. For example, let’s use Snapchat. I would bet that a majority of people, especially girls, use a filter 90% of the time they Snapchat. I know I do. I think it’s because those filters make our eyes look bigger, eyelashes longer and our skin seem super soft, when in reality we are trying to hide acne behind mounds of foundation and concealer.

When will we say that enough is enough? When can we start valuing intelligence, wit and a golden heart instead of a golden body? Women in our world wake up every morning and look in the mirror and frown because they do not have the hour glass body that all the so called “pretty boys” want. They see themselves as ugly because boys aren’t begging to dance with them at clubs.

Ladies, hear me out on this:

Do not let anyone tell you that you are not beautiful because your hair is not pin straight and you don’t have the coveted thigh gap. Do not let anyone tear you down because you excel in academics.

Newsflash: You are way smarter and you will go way farther than they ever will.

I am so sick of people claiming that beauty is on the inside, yet living their lives preaching a different message.

I am here to scream to everyone reading this: YOU MATTER. You are more than what you eat, what you wear and the car you drive. You are more than the organization you wish you were a part of. You are more than the image reflecting in the mirror. Realize that you are beautiful, not because people tell you that you are, but because you believe you are.

I am a pre-vet major who loves to laugh (especially at myself), drink coffee, and spend time with my dog, Cora. I moved from Massachusetts to Tennessee to attend college at UTM and compete for their division 1 rifle team.