Growing up, I always struggled with the pronunciation of my name. Whenever someone new attempted to say it, I would hold my breath, bracing myself for the inevitable mispronunciation. But as I grew older, I learned to appreciate the uniqueness of my name and the story behind it. My name is Manasi, pronounced "mah-nuh-see." It is a Sanskrit name that means "intellect" or "wisdom." My parents, who are originally from India, wanted to give me a name that reflected their culture and heritage. They wanted something meaningful and beautiful. However, living in a predominantly English-speaking country, my name was often mispronounced or misspelled. I would get called "man-uh-see" or "man-ah-see" or even "man-eh-see." Sometimes people would just give up and call me by my nickname, "Manny." But as frustrating as it could be, I never wanted to change my name. It was a part of who I was, and I didn't want to compromise that for the sake of convenience. Instead, I took it as an opportunity to educate people about my name and its meaning. I remember one time in high school, I had a new teacher who stumbled over my name on the first day of class. I explained how to say it correctly, and she made an effort to remember. Every time she called on me in class, she would say my name perfectly. It may seem like a small gesture, but it made a big difference to me. Now that I'm an adult, I've come to appreciate the uniqueness and beauty of my name even more. It's a conversation starter, and it often sparks questions about my heritage and culture. And even though I still get a little nervous when introducing myself to new people, I'm proud of my name and the story behind it. In the end, my name is a reminder of where I came from and the values my parents instilled in me. It's a name that reflects who I am and who I aspire to be. And even if it takes a little extra effort for others to pronounce it correctly, I wouldn't have it any other way.