Gemotions

A goofy grin stretched across Maya’s face as she scrolled through the university’s website. There it was: “Student Essays of Distinction.” And there, under the heading “Personal Narrative,” was her essay. She let out a small, involuntary whoop. The tiny dorm room felt suddenly too small to contain her overflowing sense of well-being. She’d always known her story of rescuing a stray cat during a hurricane was good, but this? This was validation.

She immediately grabbed her phone and texted her mom, then her best friend, then the entire group chat she had with her debate team. The messages were practically vibrating with excitement. A little dance erupted, arms waving, a goofy smile glued to her face. She felt like she could fly.

Her heart hammered against her ribs, a happy drumbeat. The world seemed to shimmer with possibility. Maya spun around, the textbooks on her desk blurring into a colorful haze, suddenly not feeling the weight of the upcoming exams. She was, quite frankly, radiant.