My name means rational, noble, a medicinal flower thought to cure madness at one point in history, in Greek mythology, Alyssa was the name of a nymph known for her beauty and intelligence. But to my coworkers, my family, my teachers, my friends, it resembles a person they once met and won’t ever forget. 

2006: Waukesha, Wisconsin: my parents sitting in the hospital, staring at the new life that has been born.

“Janna and Matt, congratulations!” exclaimed family and friends. Thirty quick minutes later and a few signatures and paperwork later, Alyssa Renae Babe was born. 

My parents thought of me as a girl who was going to be passionate, outgoing, intelligent, kind, determined, hard-working, creative, confident, and most importantly, a girl who was going to be so unique that people couldn’t take their eyes off of her. 

When I was three years old, I had a full head of curly hair and always had a giant smile on my face. My mom told me that I would walk around the store and people would just be drawn to me because of my hair and constant giggling and smile. 

When I was ten years old, I was the only dark curly-haired girl in my entire grade, everyone else had blonde hair, red hair, or dirty blonde hair. But I still had that same hair I had when I was three and still had a big smile on my face as well.

Now I look at myself in the mirror. I am a girl who is passionate, outgoing, intelligent, kind, determined, hard-working, creative, confident, and most importantly, a girl who is unique in her special way. That girl is named Alyssa.