Miss Mary Mack

The name Mary might seem bland to the average person, but to me there is an abundance of meaning. Mary was my grandmothers name who died years before I was born of cancer, whom my dad promised her he would name his first daughter after. The name is representative of my Christian background, because as the granddaughter of a preacher, I have grown up in a religious family. Although I do not go by this name, I am very fond of what it reflects. I was named Mackinley after my great-grandfather, William Mckinley, who was named after President William Mckinley. My parents thought this name would fit well because it was unique, and decided to give it a feminine twist with the spelling change. The name also offers several nicknames such as Mary Mack, Mack, and Mac n cheese. 

When I first meet someone, I come across as very reserved. It takes time for me to warm up to people and feel comfortable enough to be myself with them. Because of this, I feel like I reflect two separate personalities- one where I am shy and the other where I am free to be myself. My friends might see me as extremely outgoing and loud, but to others I am the shy girl in class. This personality change could even be identified based on the class that I am in. In my IB classes, I feel comfortable because I am with friends, but if I were put in a class full of people I did not know, you would not see me answering questions or doing much class participation at all. Perhaps one day I will lose this trait, but for now I feel that it benefits me in how I make friends who are appreciative of who I am either way.