I challenge Odyssey writers to post their college essay. This essay should truly define who you are as a person and reflect upon when you were a junior or senior in high school to what you have become today. This isn't a time to gloat, or say what colleges or universities you've gotten into because of this essay. This is a chance to express who you are and where your journey has taken you. College truly is a privilege, and education is a right. Hope this inspires you.

Title: Confidential.

We all have our secrets, hidden talents, and thoughts we keep inside. How does one find herself when she gets lost along the way? It took me quite some time to find out who the real Kelly Mui really was. No one really knew me. On the outside, I was a quiet, ordinary Asian girl who took interest in photography and fashion. On the contrary, Stephen Hawking once said, “The quietest people have the loudest minds.”

What occurred to me in the beginning of ninth grade is that I needed a place to keep my mind in order. I started with a journal, writing down each and every memory I could remember. For better or worse, writing made me relive my past. For every feeling, there was a page. Pages upon pages were being written and suddenly a new innovation was brought to my attention, Tumblr.

Tumblr, being a website used to create text posts, images, music, and much more, had my life on ‘paper’ or technically, published on the Internet. With the URL, c-o-n-f-i-d-e-n-t-i-a-l.tumblr.com, my ramblings started to occur more often. Every day, my daily thoughts were recorded, revealed, and disclosed onto this blog.

Writing to me, is not about how many words I can fit, it is about the content. It makes me think in ways other people do not. My creativity skyrocketed to a never before land of its own. In two years time, I built up the skill to write about anything and anyone at anytime. I fell in love with poems, quotes, and philosophy. I saw the beauty of how words flow and their coherency. Intrigued and enamored, i was hooked with the love for writing. Writing itself became one of my secret passions.

The reason why Tumblr became so important to me is because it became my safe haven to vent about my problems. Writing never judges, but people do. When knowing that I was not being judged, I discovered I could be real with myself. I became in touch with the person within and that resulted in knowing what I want. And suddenly, everything became quiet and I could focus. When no one was there for me, writing was. As corny as I say it, writing gave me something that no one else gave me, a new and different light of happiness.

The jubilant flame was ignited beneath me. I became the Kelly Mui that everyone knew as the girl who smiles. Writing has been my driving force for the past four years. The inspiration writing gives me is the motivation to achieve my aspirations and sends a message that with time, everything will get better. I now look back at all the posts I have made and see how much I have grown. To think when I was the introverted freshmen who blossomed into a confident and unique individual amazes me. Every mistake, led me to a lesson learned.

My story on the outside may not be what it seemed on the inside. The truth was told about how I gained and created my identity through writing. Out of 134.8 million blogs, c-o-n-f-i-d-e-n-t-i-a-l was my blog to share my life story. Special and personal, writing is one of the best thing that defines me. "