My name is Michaela, and I am from Chicago's south removed link I first learned of my passion for writing in high school after a writing assignment in which students shared the most significant moment in their lives and removed link I chose to speak on my mother's passing, and in doing so, I expressed feelings and emotions that I had not been able to articulate removed link It was easier to put it on paper than it was to speak of removed link Since then, writing has become an outlet for me to express my ideas, frustrations, and hopes without removed link The stories that I write communicate the importance of staying strong throughout life's struggles, and finding an outlet to release any burdens that hold people removed link I wish to share my journey with others in hopes of inspiring them to continue on in their journey as removed link