My life began with the first Star Wars film. To clarify, I was born a decade before the film was released, but as a 10-year-old in 1977 who was bullied often in school and never felt emotionally safe at home, the world of sci-fi became my safe space. It blew my world open. I began to read—not just sci-fi, but literature; I got into painting and art. But mostly, reading took me away. Naturally, I got bullied even more in school for that. But through reading, I found myself, my people and my purpose—to become a storyteller. Storytelling isn’t a career most immigrant parents think of for their kids. being from a multi-ethnic (Greek and Mexican) immigrant family, definitely meant I was he odd one out in a primarily white, English-speaking school. Having asthma and allergies—I’m basically allergic to all of nature!—meant that I couldn’t play sports, and for that reason, I was endlessly bullied at school. At home, I had a tumultuous relationship with my dad, who thought that boys should behave and act a certain way, that is, not-effeminate at all, which was the basis for the tension in our relationship. But Star Wars created a space for me. And it was a gateway to reading, not just sci-fi, but literature, art and even the sciences. These are all places where I found my people, where I found I belonged. I wanted to pursue the arts, but my folks wouldn’t pay for my college unless I became a doctor. (A strong flex, given we didn’t have much money.) It's interesting, thematically, that I would become a writer, as I came from a family where emotions weren’t encouraged, unless you were eating them. I really fought to stand up for myself as a writer, and through finding my truth in writing, that lead to me ultimately finding the strength to come out to them as both a writer and as gay. My years working towards my goal of finding my voice on the page has lead to some definite “wins,” but the path has required many more sacrifices that I thought it would. Maybe if I’d followed my parents’ advice and become a doctor, I wouldn’t also be seeking financial aid for my MFA. But then again, if I were a doctor, I wouldn’t be making art! When I was a closest, scared gay teen, reading allowed me to thrown myself into other worlds, and forget my troubles. Learning to create my own worlds has allowed me to give myself the safe and creative spaces that fulfill me, driving me to want to create worlds for others that will provide refuge and inspiration. Now that I’ve been teaching, I’m discovering other LGTB+, non-binary, and neurodivergent students in the class—and I'm realizing it’s the same people looking for connecting in safe spaces. As I forge forward in my career as a speculative fiction author, I want to be the one to create the same safe spaces in fiction and education.