I've always been an avid reader, attaching more passionately to series for the familiarity you find in the characters after a longer period of reading. When I was five, I wasn't too upset about being grounded because it gave me time to read "Junie B. Jones" books for hours on end. When I was nine, I read every single "Magic Tree House" book in my third grade teachers collection, and when I was done with those, I checked more out from my city library. When I finished all of those, I bought the special “Merlin's Missions” side series, if only to hold on to those adventures for a bit longer. I had always read for fun, and it had never meant more to me than that, but when I grew out of the books I was reading, I always felt like I was chasing something that, naturally, ten year old me couldn't quite place. In fourth grade, I was gifted a kindle paperwhite, and it quickly became my prized possession. Everyone else had their iPads and even phones, but I was known across the playground for being the girl with a tiny kindle meant only for books. Sleeping had never come easy to me, but now I could pass the time by reading, no light needed, and I could purchase a book anytime I wanted, so long as I let my parents know. All of these circumstances resulted in a wide eyed Leah, very awake and terribly bored past midnight on summer break, faintly remembering her best friend mentioning a book called "The Lightning Thief", and deciding to read the free preview her kindle offered her. After that, I dove headfirst into the Percy Jackson universe, plowing through each series with more enthusiasm than the last, reading thirty books in the span of six months at the ripe age of eleven. In the end, however; what kept me so devoted wasn't necessarily the fast paced stories, or even Percy, the titular character. Instead, I returned for the comfort I found in a supporting character: Annabeth Chase. On a superficial level, Annabeth was blonde, so I liked that I could see myself physically in her character, but beyond that, she was incredibly smart, disproving the dumb blonde stereotype I had seen so much in movies growing up. Annabeth was also very loyal and protective of her friends, but she didn't share her own feelings much, despite listening intently to others. As a hero, her fatal flaw is hubris. She wants to make a name for herself, and believes her ideas are the most assured way for success. There are instances where this trait is shown to be somewhat harmful, but they are countered by numerous situations where they are also necessary and helpful. When I was younger, I was always the one to take charge in group projects and present my ideas confidently as if they were undoubtedly the best. When Annabeth did these things, she wasn't “bossy” or “conceited”; she was a leader and a strategist. For the first time in my life, I felt truly understood, and I finally realized that what I had been missing from all those other series was a sense of belonging. This has majorly influenced my choice to major in musical theatre. Theatre, like books, tells a story and, like most art, is rooted deeply and vulnerably in human nature. If only for two hours, I want to make people feel seen with the stories I tell, and give the audience that feeling of belonging Annabeth gave me.