The night before my medical school interview, my sister poured bleach on my only blazer, and my parents told me to stop making a scene.

student representative, a young man came in with a tie that had clearly been repaired by hand. One sleeve of his shirt was slightly discolored, like it had been washed too many times or borrowed from someone else.

He kept trying to hide it under the table.

I remembered how it felt to sit in a room believing everyone could see your damage before they continue reading …