How I Turned From Being Underrated to Becoming Essential — The Power of Unseen Potential

My name is Oderinde Ebunoluwa.

I’m a 400-level Computer Science student and UNICORN XVIII 🦄 president at Crawford University, a content creator, a frontend developer, and co-owner of ColouredStudios↗ — our colouring book brand.

But behind all these titles is just a simple story about potential.

A story about how people might not see your light at first… until it becomes too bright to ignore.

How It Started 🥺

Back in my second year, I took a bold step and contested for Public Relations Officer (PRO) of my department.

Some people were surprised and some didn’t believe I could do it.

But I believed in myself — and I won. But it didn't end there.

That win changed something in me.
It made me realize I had more in me, and I could actually do more.

The Loss That Taught Me Everything ❤️‍🩹

In my third year, I aimed higher.
I contested for Vice President.

This time, I didn’t win.

And honestly, it wasn’t even the loss that got to me — it was the whispers.

The people who didn’t think I had anything to offer 🥲.
The people who doubted my abilities 🤨.
The people who were openly against me — including some I never expected 💔.

It hurt. It actually made me question myself for a moment.

But deep down, I knew what I carried.
I knew my plans.
I knew my potential.

Even if nobody else saw it at the time, I held on to that.

When Everything Changed

What changed everything for me was that I kept being me. Be yourself. Stand out and don't let yourself be discouraged. I didn’t let it discourage me; I kept being real to myself because this is who I am — I am not faking it.

Along the way, they started seeing I had value. They didn’t see it before, but now they appreciate it. Regardless of the failures, stay true to yourself, and at the end of the day, it’s going to be worth it.

The funny thing is this:
the same people who once doubted me later came back with words like:

• “I didn’t know you could do all this.”
• “I didn’t know you had so much to offer.”
• “I didn’t know you were this capable.”

That was when it clicked.

People won’t always see your potential immediately — but once they eventually see it, they’ll come around.

So I stopped chasing validation.
Instead, I focused on:

• growing,
• learning,
• and doing the work.

And slowly, the same people who once overlooked me started reaching out.

What Life Taught Me

Life is honestly not as complicated as we make it.

You don’t need to explain your dreams to everybody.
You don’t need everyone to applaud you.
You don’t even need everyone to understand you.

Just keep being good at what you do.
Be consistent.
Be kind.
Keep improving.

People may underrate you at first…
but once they see your passion and your value, they won’t ignore it.

Before, I was overlooked.
Now, I’m needed.

Finally… ❤️

If you’re reading this, here’s the message:

• People will doubt you sometimes.
• People may ignore your efforts.
• People may not see your potential immediately.

But keep going.

Do what you do so well that when people need it, your name is the first that comes to mind.

Stay kind.
Stay focused.
Stay excellent.

Your potential might be unseen today —
but one day, it will speak loud enough for everyone to hear.

Connect with me on tiktok↗ for more inspiration and follow my brand to get our latest products ColouredStudios↗ ❤️❤️❤️😊