I grew up in a Southern Pentecostal home, the child of two ordained pastors. Queerness was - at best - a party joke and - at worst - a death sentence. Violence was a common punishment for those in my church community. Staying in the closet was a matter of life and death. Despite all of this, in my senior year of high school I could no longer hide my transness from myself. So, I packed up a suitcase and ran away from home. This time in my life was painful and full of suffering. I was homeless, young, and naive. I lost the emotional and financial support of my parents, both of whom demonized my identity. Still, I was free. For all the pain, being true to myself was worth it. After several years of hard work, I built a community and a life I was proud of. I had top surgery, started testosterone, met other queer and trans people, and grew with the help of a therapist. I also read often. The words of queer and trans people before me let me know that I was not alone. Works by Audre Lorde, Wilfred Owen, and Mary Oliver brought me comfort. In 2019 with the help of community and literature, I found something new and exciting - hope for the future. I enrolled in community college that spring. I entered with a curious mind and a newfound joy. Furthering my education taught me so much about myself. I reignited my curiosity in academia and in life. It was then that I realized I had been writing poetry all of this time. I wrote poems in journals, scribbled stories in notebooks, and kept writings on old napkins. College taught me that these words were not empty. It taught me that these words could hold so much meaning. Suddenly, I saw that I too could write powerful things, things that could comfort someone like me or expand the understanding of people like my family. I began showing my work to professors and their reception led me to major in creative writing. I received my AA in English and my Creative Writing Certificate in the spring of 2022. My work at my community college led me to Goddard College, a place created for non-traditional learners and non-traditional people. I am excited to continue honing my creative writing skills and growing as a person through this program. I know the power of sharing a story. I know this because reading stories like mine gave me hope in the darkest parts of my life. Through queer representation, emotionally vulnerable poetry, and personal reflection pieces, I know my words can provide light to queer people who are shrouded in darkness. I believe that sharing my writing with the world can help queer and trans people to know that they are not alone.