My favorite subject in school was always English. It didn't take me very long to discover that I prefer writing over science and math. Ever since I was little, I've had a fascination with reading and writing. The way people arrange words is so impressive and captivating. I also adore unique figurative language and what these various elements add to a written piece.

When I'm bored, I write stories and poems. My notes app is littered with random thoughts and ideas for future stories. Writing essays is even enjoyable for me. However, I didn't figure this out all by myself; I had lots of help in discovering what I'm passionate about.

My very first encounter with the idea of a career in English started with my love of reading. As a kid, my mom would always take my sister and I to our local library. I picked out as many books as my library card allowed and went straight home to start reading my haul. With this early exposure to reading as a fun activity, I grew up with this mentality.

Thank you, mom, for building a strong foundation for my dreams.

In terms of writing, my love for this activity began in sixth grade. I vividly remember my language arts teacher, Mrs. O' Donnell, assigning us three book projects that involved various writing prompts and some creativity. I read each book at lightning speed and immediately began writing according to the prompts. The creative direction I wanted to take just came naturally to me. This was where the fire was ignited and nothing (not even writer's block) could stop me. The excitement I had for this homework assignment was more than I ever had for anything school related.

Thank you, Mrs. O' Donnell, for creating a spark in me.

In high school, my love for writing only grew stronger. I took a creative writing workshop in both my junior and senior years and loved every second of them. Being able to share my work with someone and get their honest feedback for revisions was something I never got to do before, but this course provided me with that opportunity.

At the end of my senior year, I compared my written pieces from my junior year to the ones from my senior year and could see how much my writing style evolved and improved.

Thank you, Mrs. Cicchetti, for helping me advance my knowledge and admiration for my passion.

Even though I am only a college freshman who has just finished her first semester, I have already met another influence who has helped me grow. Somehow in my schedule of gen eds, I was given the opportunity to write creative works. In my Creative Acts course, I got to experience receiving feedback from a large group of people.

Yes, this process was nerve-wracking at first, but it allowed me to see what a group of people thought about my writing. I sat and listened to my classmates talk about my story and heard their thoughts and opinions right in front of me. I also received a letter from each of my peers with what they liked and would change in revision. Seeing how readers reacted provided me with a little taste of what it's like to be an author.

Thank you, Professor Allingham, for providing me with a space full of incredible feedback and advice.

All the people mentioned above are family or educators, but my last thank you is to my best friend. She has been right by side ever since the beginning of my passion. We have bonded over countless books and our love for reading. Whenever I write a new piece, she is the first to see it. Her excitement to read my newest story is contagious and makes me want to start developing my next idea right away. In all my works, her feedback is always helpful and inspiring.

Thank you, Emily, for being so supportive and enthusiastic about what I love to do.

All these people have had a significant impact on how I came to be an English major. Even though quite a few people have already left a mark on me, I can't wait to meet more people who will inspire me. I'm incredibly eager to see my progress and growth with help from future influences.

To all the people above and more to come, thank you.