These days, it’s not uncommon for a high school student to have a couple of tattoos here and there. Homemade tattoos or professional tattoos, many teenagers will go on vacation or Spring Break and come back with new ink. Of course, this comes with some controversy. A lot of parents will argue that it makes you unemployable, or teenagers are too young to know what is actually smart to mark your body with forever. Danielle Schiefelbein, junior, said,

“My mom thinks I’m really doing to regret them, and she was mad that I went and did them behind her back”

Not all parents are as skeptical about tattoos, and may even encourage them, especially if they themselves or other members of their immediate family have them.

“They were very supportive,” Corey Thomas, senior, said, “My dad has quite a few tattoos. Maybe eight- close to 10.”

Despite the criticism or the doubtfulness from parents, these tattoos do mean a lot to the teenagers who get them. Even though they might be labeled as too young, or told that they will regret them, the students maintain that they are incredibly meaningful. Schiefelbein, for example, had a profession tattoo done shortly after the passing of her father.

“I have a wolf on my ankle,” Schiefelbein said, “I wanted something that symbolized strength and how I felt. I felt that a wolf is pretty much my spirit animal, where I may be alone and I may seclude myself from people like wolves do. They may seclude themselves from the pack, but they’re still strong in what they do. So it represents my strength, and how I get by on my own.”

Even though they may face doubt or the scrutiny of their parents or teachers, most students with tattoos plan on getting more. Often, they aren’t always for the sake of rebellion, or just because they saw something on Tumblr once. They want these tattoos to solidify the moments and feelings that mean the most to them. Thomas said,

“It’s art. It will mark my journey.”