Confidence is key to being who you are, and that is what senior Zyaire Bohannon lives by.

Bohannon is a unique individual that simply loves who she is and what she does.

In her free time, Bohannon likes to write music and poetry, read, and participate in theater and cosplay.

When it comes to spending time with her friends, she loves to play videos games and go to cosplay conventions like Youmacon and Shutocon.

Bohannon does not participate in school activities, but said she enjoys “writing and fine arts activities” outside of school.

Even though she was accepted into a fine arts program at Princeton, she will most likely go to Eastern Michigan University and then study abroad.

“I like the idea of exploring, but I want to be sure that I’m ready,” Bohannon said.

Although she does not participate in many after-school activities, she does endeavor in learning different languages and hopes to teach someday.

When asked where she sees herself in 10 years, she said, “Hopefully, I’m out of college and working as a preschool or kindergarten teacher in a foreign country.”

Bohannon has taken Spanish since she was in the first grade and is currently taking her third Japanese class, so she does not know which country she would like to teach in.

Bohannon is also trying to learn about her heritage, in which she knows that she is partly Native American.

“It wasn’t until a few years back that I actively began studying our culture and met family members from it, so I’m still learning about it myself,” Bohannon said. “However, some traditions had already been practiced in my family prior to us fully integrating within the Native side of our family.”

Her culture and knowledge is not the only thing Bohannon knows of herself, though.

Senior Jennifer Delong, a friend of Bohannon, loves her personality and the confidence she has.

“I love how she isn’t scared of what anyone else thinks, how she can stand her ground without worrying what others think of her,” Delong said. “She will defend her friends with intense loyalty and will fight with them through their battles.”

Bohannon is someone who shines with confidence. She knows who she is, embraces it, and would no’t change that.

“I don’t see myself as someone who can be improved. I’m 100 percent content with everything about me. I have no problem with my looks, personality, or insight,” Bohannon said. “This is probably because I don’t let other opinions impact how I view myself, and I’m honestly too conceited for my own good.”

Senior Kayla Ward could not agree less with Bohannon.

“She’s got quite the personality,” Ward said. “She’s very smart and knows how to help others in any situation.”

Some people may view Bohannon’s confidence as overwhelming, but she simply ignores it, taking pride in everything she is and what she can become.

When asked who her idol was, Bohannon simply replied with, “Myself.”

“There aren’t many people I think are worth looking up to, so I make it a point to see my future self as my idol,” Bohannon said. “At this point, I don’t know anyone pursuing goals similar enough to mine or whose philosophy is similar. The kind of person I want to become over time is the only true idol I have.”