It wasn’t until the fifth grade that the idea of writing in an inspirational and expressive way was introduced to me. My teacher would give us 20 minutes every English period to complete a free write in our notebooks and after we could share our creation with the others in the class. This free write was composed of anything from how we feel about school, to short stories, to our favorite books at the time. It was around this time that I began writing my own stories.

These were nothing fancy, just silly stories about magic elves or mermaids or wizards fighting against each other. I would spend hours after school crafting these stories, constantly adding to the world building and characters and story arcs. They really became something of my own that I could hold onto for the rest of my life.

Even my seventh and eighth grade English teachers confessed to me that what I wrote was different from what they had seen before. They encouraged me to keep writing and to keep seeking out new ways to construct story lines and ideas. From then on I was able to learn how to manage my time around writing stories and regular school work. The advice my teachers gave me then is still responsible for the way I write and continue to grow my writing today.

Throughout high school I’ve continued to compose stories and I’ve taken every opportunity I could to better my writing. This meant extra online classes, electives and even AP courses. And by taking harder classes my writing skills increased dramatically with the amount of writing I was doing. By my junior year I could write a fully developed essay, research and cite sources the correct way, and use evidence to prove a thesis about any piece of literature. If it wasn’t for my English teachers I wouldn’t love the writing I’m creating now.

As my high school career comes to an end and a new path to life begins I want to thank the many teachers who inspired me to write and to continue writing. Because of them I wasn’t put into a standard expectation of bland writing. I was taught to show not tell and to express myself as openly and as freely as possible. They’ve supported me through every character and analysis essay, and encouraged me to not be afraid to go further with my writing. So I say thank you to the educators who the time out of their day after school to help me, who never said no to reading my work and who always told me to never be afraid to keep learning and loving what I’m passionate about.

Thank you.