I could give several standard answers when asked how I make a difference. I could describe what it’s like to be a Teen Advisory Group member at my library or explain the impact of being a band member for Vacation Bible School. But perhaps what makes the most of a difference has nothing to do with volunteer hours, but is just a way I have fun with my friends and do what I love. 

It was during my first year of high school when I decided that I wanted to start a club. Specifically a writing club, since there wasn’t one yet and I felt that would be the only sort of club I would be able to manage. And two years later, I would say that being this club’s President is one of the most exciting things about my high school experience. By convincing my friends who don’t like writing to attend the meetings just to support me, they realize that storytelling and putting words on paper isn't as monotonous as society wants us to believe. But it’s not just the lives of my friends that I and the other club leaders are trying to impact. By reaching out to veterans every December to send them cards celebrating the Holiday Season, we want to emphasize how writing is more than turning blood into art, it’s a way to inspire and encourage. 

But writing isn’t only a way that I make a difference in others. By reading what several other creative minds have conjured, a difference is made in my life. Many prolific writers have stated that to become a great writer, reading a copious amount of reading material is essential. And I’ve noticed that the more I read, the more I can write. From published novels to fanfiction to literary magazines, these works sparked a desire in me to become an inspiration to others. Perhaps starting this club was the first stepping stone on my long journey to literary stardom. And no, I’m not looking to become the next William Shakespeare or Sylvia Plath, I just want someone to read my works and enjoy it. All of my friends have said they love my writing, and I firmly believe that starting a writing club allows me to love theirs even more.