This article examines the ways in which composition theory and pedagogy have traditionally conceptualized "ESL" students. While this term has already been contested for its limitations, and alternatives have been offered in its place, this article seeks to add to the conversation by demonstrating, through students' and instructors' first-hand accounts, the nuances that underlie a multilingual student's identity. These perspectives aim to complement existing literature on how English instruction must consider all students' language competencies and intersectional experiences, rather than merely the sequence in which their languages were learned. Drawing from English faculty and students' perspectives on and experiences with the term, this work ultimately suggests pedagogical practices that more equitably address linguistically diverse students' English language competencies, mobilize their existing assets as sites of meaning-making in the writing classroom, and foster confidence in their linguistic and cultural differences.