Assignment 21: Violet - Hannah Qazi

For a majority of the second grade I did not speak. Over the course of one summer, I had lost all the friends I'd grown up with - and the confidence to make new ones -  because I moved. While this may not appear to be a struggle worthy of sharing, it's a defining aspect of who I am. I've struggled with social anxiety for most of my life and even had my hearing tested because my timidness interfered with my learning. I personally found comfort in being an introvert, but my parents and teachers always tried to push me out of my tiny bubble. Although I'm grateful for their efforts and it was in their best intention to help, it did nothing. It wasn't until I found my people/fellow introverts that I really started to open up. As I've grown, I've taken significant steps past my comfort zone, enough to even join activities like speech and debate. I still struggle to express my opinion at times, but over time I've learned to cope with it and speak.