A person is defined by their name.

To many, the above statement may sound like a normal thing to say. If you want to get a person's attention, you'd call out the name that they were given. It might have the weirdest pronunciation, it may even mean something unusual in a different language, but that one simple word you were given at birth is one that will forever be tied to who you are. As Noorulhuda Waheed said, "My name is part of my identity, it's who I am."

Names are used often, but people see them more for their purpose and not for their backstory. Behind a person's name, there are layers to unpack about why that name was chosen for them and how they feel about it now. Hafsa Khan said it best, stating that "names are something we do not really think about, they are just something we say." It should not be this way, we should make an effort to learn more about people's names to understand more about them.

That's why Shoulder2Shoulder started the #AboutMyName movement.

The goal of #AboutMyName is to spread the importance of learning more about people through various aspects that represent who they are, and a person's name is just one alley leading to accomplishing that. Maham Bawaney added that a person's name is "not something that is commonly talked about or emphasized, so the initiative idea was a really cool way to bring youth together and hear their stories."

Participants found that they had to reach inside themselves to find purpose to make a video about their name.

"I just thought about my name and what it means to me. I was trying to show the world the impact one’s name can have on a person, and why the meaning of it can be so important," said Maham. She elaborated on the meaning of her name, which means "full moon," and talked about how it has helped her. "I’ve always seen the moon as a source of comfort, light, and direction." This is just one example how one person's name can inspire and motivate them even though it's just a word.

It can also be tough when people are not able to say your name right.

Is it because of disrespect? Probably not. An unwillingness to learn? Perhaps.

Story time!

I was in math class a few days ago, and a substitute teacher pronounced my name wrong. My name is Musa (Moo-suh), which I thought was quite easy to pronounce. In fact it probably is, because when the sub pronounced my name wrong it was the first time ever someone had not gotten it right! It took me a second to realize that he was referring to me while taking attendance because I had never heard anyone refer to me with that combination of syllables.

That didn't necessarily irk me in any way, but it can when people have names that are rarely pronounced right.

Noorulhuda Waheed said that "it’s frustrating to not be called your actual name," which can only be too true if it happens many times. Sara Mudallal, a guest on MYNA's We The Youth podcast, also had something to say about that with a touch of humor.

Overall, opening up seemed to have a positive effect on those who participated.

"I felt...a new connection to my name," said Hafsa. "I have talked to a few friends about my name since putting out the video, and I feel like making that video emphasized to me the importance of the meaning of my name," commented Maham. I wouldn't say that re-thinking your name gives you a boost of self-worth, but it definitely seems like it adds a new dimension to your identity if you're aware of it.

Here is a compilation of just a few of the videos: