Some people are natural math whizzes, born to excel at science, or you have your history buffs. All of these are beyond impressive and are usually what is expected out of a high-achieving and well-rounded student. While I was decent at these subjects in high school, I am an English girl at heart. English has always been the one subject I never struggled with. I write essays in mere minutes instead of hours sometimes because the words flow through my fingertips like a rushing waterfall, and I think it is beautiful. Everyone has their niche and writing sometimes just happens to be mine.
I am a social butterfly at heart. Getting up and speaking in front of hundreds of people is something I strive for instead of dreading, but sometimes I just can’t find the words I need to speak on subjects. Writing gives me those words. To me, words are more powerful than any physical aspect in the world. I can take the jumbled, messy, and loud thoughts that are swirling in my head and string them together on a document to the point where they make sense. When the pandemic struck and sent the world into isolation, it demolished any form of verbal communication skills I had due to being in school. I gained major social anxiety and could no longer communicate my emotions. I went from being a social butterfly to barely being able to be in a room with ten people. I started to write any and every thought possible during my time in quarantine, and that is where my love for writing sprouted roots and began to climb. From diary entries to speeches, my thoughts flooded the pages, and I realized that writing was the exact outlet I needed to channel my expression. Since that day, I have written consistently about life, mental health, stress, and so much more in order to cope.
Writing about mental health has been a major step in my growth as a person and it has been extremely important to me to share with my peers. My salutatorian speech touched on my struggles and the people who helped me get through the hard years of high school. They’re more than just words. They are pieces of my life that should be shared because my experiences could benefit someone else who is dealing with similar problems. One thing I will always advocate for and fight for is spreading awareness and sharing my reasons and solutions. It is so important that people share their stories and things that have helped them or that they’ve learned. Life is more than just facts from professionals. It’s learning from peers because sometimes their experiences teach us more than studies ever could.