My story begins at the tender age of 8 upon receiving my first journal. I became enamored with the wondrous world of writing very quickly after this gift. I convinced myself I was chosen to be bequeathed an ethereal literary weapon to become a legendary wordsmith capable of unimaginable writing power. As I got older, after conquering the likes of my English, AP English Composition, and Creative Writing classes, I understood that any great penman must be more than just a “writer”; I must be a storyteller. Lucky for me, storytelling is a stylistic art form that can take countless forms to communicate my intended message–writing included. Yet, these courses would also highlight that a profound tale is but words on a page without the element of emotionality, connecting the artist to the spectator through an evocation of emotions. Journaling is my longest-lived hobby. It pushed me to consider how my story is connected to others’ stories through a similar sociological experience. It piqued my interest regarding the mental and emotional health of BIPOC women. It showed me that only as an explorer of my emotionality would I as the author and protagonist discover the essence of “me.” My trek across the country for college inspired me to be more consistent in journaling. To my surprise, my first-year roommate shared an interest in my beloved hobby. Though, she also shared a similarly distressing upbringing. I explained how highly I valued the expression of emotionality due to the emotional abuse and suppression I endured during my teenagehood. Writing liberated me. It allowed me to tell my story unaltered and uninterrupted. She agreed with this sentiment and we journaled together on our first night on campus. Although, that was the last time I would ever see her journal. After a particular entry covering some profound, healing self-revelation, I asked my roommate if she’d like to hear it. This quickly became our new normal. After every other tumultuous journaling session, for which she stayed silent, I would share these jagged and raw pieces of myself at the risk of rejection or humiliation. But these recitals typically ended with constructive and inspiring conversations that nurtured emotional intimacy and vulnerability. Upon wrapping up my final entry of the school year, my roommate called me over to her side of the room. She proceeded to show me the journal entries she recorded on her phone throughout the year. As I scrolled through her catalog, she explained that my consistency and my story inspired her to think more deeply about her own. She expressed that my dedication to mental/emotional well-being through journaling motivated her to journal more consistently. Like me, she wanted to reclaim the voice she felt had been stolen from her. Thereafter, I applied to be a writing tutor on campus. During the 2023-2024 school year, I am intent on helping refine writing pieces to help accentuate the voice of other women authors and storytellers. I look forward to being a resource for other students who share a similar experience of insecurity or vulnerability as a storyteller. I want to help writing to be more accessible. As a postgraduate Film and Media Studies Major with a minor in Sociology, I hope to be the creative mouthpiece that accurately captures the untold stories of BIPOC women. I firmly contend that representation in the arts can help empower women to be the authors and protagonists in the story of their lives. While it takes a lot of courage to write your own story, you never know who it might inspire to do the same.