Taking after others in her family, sophomore Melinda Winkelmann recently received a tattoo.

“I’ve always wanted a tattoo, and I decided on what I wanted probably 3-4 months before I actually got it,” Winkelmann said.

Upon deciding on what to get tattooed on to her, Winkelmann took to the Internet to research the multiple meanings of all the different tattoo possibilities.

“I generally knew where I wanted my tattoo, and when I went online, I found out that stars can represent a lot of different meanings,” Winkelmann said.
Winkelmann has four stars, in blue, green, red and orange, that grace the right side of her neck, directly below her ear.

“My tattoos, all the four stars, symbolizes truth, spirit, strength and hope,” Winkelmann said.
The tattoos are largely hidden during the day by her hair, but Winkelmann admits that the majority of her peers have noticed the tattoos.

“Some other peers think it’s cool while others think it was a bad decision,” Winkelmann said.  “Usually teachers don’t see it because my hair covers it, but the ones that do [at least] pretend to like it.”

While many teenagers who wish to get a tattoo face opposition from their family, specifically their parents, Winkelmann looked to her family for support when deciding to get a tattoo.

“My family was okay with it, especially because my mom and a lot of other people in my family have tattoos,” she said.

Regarding other teenagers who wish to get a tattoo, Winkelmann supports the idea, but believes it is a personal decision.

“If you want a tattoo and it has meaning to you, then you should get it, no matter the age,” Winkelmann said. “If you do get older and decide you don’t like it, you can always get another tattoo over it to cover it.”