Starting Freshman year is like walking into the closet of Narnia introducing you to a new environment with new opportunities everywhere. My freshman year I was immediately sparked by curiosity for the media club. Although I was shy and didn’t like to share my opinion out loud I still had a strong voice that exalted itself from my pen. 

After joining the media club I was introduced to Mr. Decker who ran Cape Fear Voices. Since freshman year he has inspired me so much and has introduced me to so many opportunities that have better prepared me for my career in writing. 

I have grown so much since my freshman year and have different awards that showcase that thanks to the team at Cape Fear Voices that has helped me develop as a writer, speaker, and creator. Since Cape Fear Voices a sprout of creativity has grown in me that reflects the hard work I have committed to through the years.

Mr. Decker has encouraged not only me but several other students who have engaged in Cape Fear Voices and Teen Scene. One of the best memories I have with Teen Scene was the intercultural festival. Mr. Decker had told me about an event occurring in Brunswick County that was going to feature several different cultures and how they are all similar and different. 

I was able to explore the event and become captivated by so many different performances that were featured. I was also able to practice my presentation ability like a real news reporter. Thanks to Mr. Decker and the team at Cape Fear Voices I have gained a memory that I will never forget. 

The intercultural festival was only one of many kinds of field experience I was exposed to. Being able to participate in real journalism outside of my high school has better prepared me for the real world and the type of jobs I could obtain that would enrich me in culture all around the world and make me a better journalist. 

Being able to work with Cape Fear Voices also led me to toastmaster. Toastmaster is a way to engage people in public speaking and enhance their writing, speaking, and listening skills. Being involved in Toastmasters and Cape Fear Voices has made me more confident as a writer and presenter. 

Since freshman year I have blossomed into a completely different writer, became editor in chief of my high school media team, tried new experiences, discovered different perspectives of writing, and have just shaped into a completely different person overall. 

Thanks to Cape Fear Voices and Teen Scene I have changed for the better and grew a new type of confidence in my writing that as a freshman I would never have felt. I have become inspired to pursue a career in writing in hopes to change the world with my pen one word at a time.