One big aspect a lot of us tend to hide about ourselves is our past life and hardships. Thus, we never truly get to know or understand a person. However, senior Cianna Burse has the courage to be an open book.

Burse’s parents divorced when she was only six, which she said was difficult for her.

“My dad just left, and he wasn’t in my life. At around third grade, he got married and he was having a new kid, and I didn’t know how to feel about that,” Burse said.

Burse said the divorce did not really bother her when she was young. However, her teacher made her write how she was feeling in a journal, which allowed her to unveil her emotions.

“That made me realize I actually had feelings about this, and I was actually upset about it. One day I just blew up on my mom, I just told her how I felt,” Burse said.

Burse also said her home life was unstable in fourth grade when her mother became depressed, which forced her to take on the role of a mother.

“My mom would just come home from work and do nothing. She wouldn’t ask us how our day was, make food, clean or anything. I had to do that and make sure my brother was ready for school when I was the youngest child,” Burse said.

In addition, the lack of attention affected Burse in school, she said.

“In middle school, I was always getting in trouble,” Burse said. “In elementary school, I was always getting in trouble because I would always act up because I wanted attention when I wasn’t getting that at home.”

Burse said she chooses to be open about her personal life because it helps her build stronger connections with her friends and family, and there is not enough time for a person  to be someone they are not. She also said that by letting everything out, it takes a lot of weight off one’s shoulders.

“I wish I could’ve stepped up because my grandma passed away freshman year and she didn’t know the real me, she just knew the person she wanted me to be,” Burse said. “It’s horrible staying in your shell. At first, it feels comfortable and you feel safe, but at the end of the day, you’re not your true self.”