Every class has at least one: a quiet kid who comes to class, sits alone, and doesn't talk to anyone. Other students rarely remember the classmate's name and some think he or she is just another weird, quiet outcast.

I know because I was that girl - the quiet one sitting alone. I was very shy and didn't speak up unless called on. I was the student the teacher used to separate talkative friends - the one who was asked to switch seats with a loud, popular kid and then sit next to that popular kid's best friend. I was also often the one who had to be assigned to a group, even if we were allowed to pick, because I didn't have any friends in the class to partner up with. In the teacher's eyes, I was a respectful and intelligent student; in some classmates' eyes, I was the boring kid you didn't want to get stuck with.

I've had multiple people comment on how quiet I am and some people tell me they forget I'm even sitting in the same room as them. At times, it's felt like no one would notice if I was gone.

It's not that I never wanted to interact with other people - I was just shy. Because of it, I felt like I was the girl no one noticed.

When people I didn't know very well called me by name, I was surprised they knew me. If I ever heard that a guy was interested in me, I was absolutely shocked he'd even seen me. I developed low expectations when it came to interacting with new people because I assumed I was invisible - just a piece of the background.

Over the years, however, I've been learning to step forward and let people see me. There have even been moments where I've made sure I was heard. Although this change has come from a lot of my own work, I have others to thank for it too.

I am fortunate enough to have incredible friends and family who have helped me find my voice and encouraged me to use it. They've recognized that I'm the type of person who thinks more than I speak, but have also told me that I should speak more because I have intelligent things to say. Their support showed me that I have important things to contribute and I should feel more comfortable voicing my opinions.

I no longer feel like I'm the girl no one notices. I feel like I'm the girl who can get people's attention.

I don't have to be as loud as everyone else because I've found my voice and I know how to use it.