I have questioned my sexuality a few times throughout my life, and even at this time I'm not entirely sure how I feel, but I do resonate with the queer community and hopefully I will discover myself further with age. Of course, I have faced people in my life who didn't understand me, but I would consider my personal struggle with my identity as the biggest challenge I've faced regarding my sexuality. I often suffer from imposter syndrome (and I do as I write this too) about my identity. I have also faced judgement in other areas; for example, I grew up in the south where most people in my community are religious, but my family and I have never been religious, and as a child I faced hateful comments related to this aspect of myself. My story regarding writing actually begins with my Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. As a little girl I was diagnosed with moderate to severe OCD, at least in a sense that it got in the way of my everyday life. I have since learned that my situation is a rare one, with OCD not commonly being diagnosed in children as young as I was, and most cases of childhood OCD being found in boys. I received treatment for my disorder, and thankfully am no longer seriously impacted by the disorder (aside from some small counting quirks), but I do partake in a daydreaming hobby which I think began as a maladaptive coping mechanism, likely related to my OCD. I've loved reading for my entire life, and books were and are an escape for me. Since I first began my daydreaming, I have created many of my own stories that live in my head, and I even pursued a hobby in creative story writing when I was in elementary school. I mostly stick to writing poetry now (when I do write), but I have recently discovered an interest in the publishing industry. Books have touched my life in such a meaningful way and are such an integral part of who I am, and a large part of the process that puts those books into readers' hands are the people that work with authors before their writing even hits bookstore shelves. I plan on pursuing work in the editing field, where I dream of helping a writer professionally publish their work. Of course, I think it would be amazing if I had a hand in publishing a bestseller at some point. Through my experience in publishing, I believe that I will be able to develop my own abilities, and at some point I hope to write and publish a story of my own, whether that's a fiction novel, a poetry collection, or even a script for a play or television show/movie.