Throughout my life, books have been an outlet for me to tune out the noise of the busy world and take me to a different place. To me, a good book has a powerful message that will help shape your life. One that always stood out to me was, “Step out of your comfort zone, but be true to yourself”. Growing up I had extreme social anxiety because I struggled with Autism Spectrum Disorder (called Asperger's Syndrome at the time). Since, I wasn’t socially involved in many activities when I was younger I became a loner as a kid. Instead, I would spend all my free time playing on my home computer or reading books. A lot of my books were passed down from my big sister and in that pile was, “What Was I Scared Of?” written by Dr. Seuss. In simple terms it's a spooky and silly story that is about facing your fears. While I didn’t think much of it when I was younger, as I grew up the lessons in this book positively impacted my life. When I entered high school, I was desperate to be more involved before it was too late. Music ended up grabbing my attention and before I knew it I tried out for my first ever live performance. Being on a stage in front of a large audience has always been one of my worst fears. I feared I would embarrass myself, let others down or simply pass away from stress on stage. I never thought I would be capable of being a part of a good performance. To my surprise, I grew to love performing! I was able to skip around the main stage, presenting myself as a very confident and social person. As I acted out as characters that were unlike my introverted self, I started to connect with these characters. I became more comfortable in my own skin, I became confident in my abilities and I no longer wanted to hide behind my mom. I would never be who I am today if I didn’t step out of my comfort zone. This assisted in my ultimate passion for books and the important role they can have on a young individual's life. I always was interested in assisting the next generation to find the goals they want to fulfill in their life. To help shape their values and beliefs so they can be true to themselves. If it wasn’t for books, my teachers, school or my experiences I wouldn’t have the same values and passions I am guided by today. Now I’m proudly an undergraduate student in my third year, studying a major in English Education and minoring in Library Media. I want to be a source to students, not only as a friend but as an educational advisor. Books have many benefits which include, helping reduce stress, improves your concentration/memory, strengthens your writing abilities, enhances your knowledge, and increases your imagination and creativity. I want to be able to share these benefits so I can spread a love for books and personal growth.

What's life without a little funk? That's how I live my life today. I not only dress the way I want to without judgment, but I want people to express their own inner funk. What's the point of “fitting in” if you can’t fully express yourself? That's why I design, make, and sell my own jewelry in an attempt to inspire others to dress as their true selves. My small business is called "Pink Pocky Creations". I sell my earrings on Instagram (under ashleys_thrift), Depop, and at a small repurposed goods store in my town. I have an official set-up located in my basement where I have all the materials to make and arrange my earrings. Some may say I use my inner child in my creations, which I would have to fully agree with. We may become older in age, but we never lose that piece of our lives. Have you ever thought about putting slappy hands on a pair of earrings? Well, I sure did! Put an earring hook, jump rings, and some slappy hands together and TA-DA you can now choose from my three different color combos. Have you ever wondered what to do with those little animal erasers that you don't want to use? Make them into a pair of cute studs! This creative outlet has given me the chance to make a customer smile from their new funky pair of earrings. I never understood the joy of being an artist/creator until I started my own business! Having the ability to create something that gives so much joy to others is absolutely life-changing. I've had chances to see my customers wearing my earrings and strutting them around my school. Hearing them get compliment after compliment from bystanders puts a smile on their faces. More than anything, I hope my creations can make more and more people smile and live their life to the fullest.

My favorite book would have to be “Grown” by Tiffany D. Jackson. This book tells a story about the main character Enchanted Jones getting spotted by the famous R&B artist Korey Fields at an audition. This event leads to her dreams of being a famous singer when he takes her under his wing. Enchanted's dreams are quickly turned into a hellish nightmare. Behind Korey's charm and tenderness is a controlling dark side he has been hiding. One morning Enchanted wakes up with blood on her hands and zero memory of the previous night. Korey Fields is dead and the police are now at the door. All signs point to Enchanted, but did she really kill Korey Fields? Being a mix of Mystery, Realistic Fiction & Well-Being, this story pulls the audience to every twist and turn. While this story may be intense for a casual audience I became completely absorbed in the story. This book really opened my eyes to the misogyny, rape culture, and vulnerability that young black girls sustain. Being a cis white woman has sheltered me from the struggles that young women of color experience. Growing up I've tried to educate myself on the issues around me; just because I didn't experience them didn't mean it wasn't happening. Being informed helps me get a step closer to becoming someone who could one day help. This book even showed me the number of nauseating acts that a celebrity could get away with. Jackson's Novel “Grown” was inspired by the allegations against R. Kelly and his relationships with underaged girls. Being seen as an inspirational star shouldn't be an excuse for immoral actions. This book was created to enlighten the readers and I think it did an excellent job in doing so.