Foreword:
Growingup,IalwaysfeltlikeIwastryingtofitin,butneverquitesucceeding.Iwasalwaystheoddoneout,theweirdkidwhodidn'tquitebelong.Myclassmateswouldteaseme,andIcouldneverseemtofindagroupoffriendswhotrulyunderstoodme.ButallofthatchangedwhenImetMr.Chen.
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Mr.ChenwasmyhighschoolEnglishteacher,andhewasunlikeanyotherteacherIhadeverhad.Hewaspatient,kind,andalwaysmadetimeforhisstudents.HesawsomethinginmethatIdidn'tevenseeinmyself-hesawpotential.
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Oneday,IstayedafterclasstoaskMr.Chenforhelpwithanassignment.Aswetalked,helookedatmewithaseriousexpressionandsaid,"Youknow,you'reareallytalentedwriter.Haveyoueverconsideredpursuingacareerinwriting?"
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Iwastakenabackbyhiscomment-noonehadeversaidanythinglikethattomebefore.ButthemoreIthoughtaboutit,themoreitmadesense.Writingwassomethingthathadalwayscomenaturallytome.IhadkeptjournalssinceIwasachild,andIlovedtoescapeintodifferentworldsthroughbooks.
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WithMr.Chen'sencouragement,Ibegantotakemywritingmoreseriously.Istartedsubmittingmyworktoliterarymagazinesandevenwonafewawards.Itwaslikeawholenewworldhadopeneduptome.
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Butevenwiththisnewfoundsuccess,Istillstruggledwithself-doubt.ItwashardtobelievethatIcouldactuallymakealivingasawriter-itseemedtoogoodtobetrue.
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Oneday,Mr.Chenaskedmetostayafterclassagain.Thistime,hehandedmeabook-"OnWriting"byStephenKing."Ithinkyou'llfindthishelpful,"hesaidwithasmile.
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IdevouredthebookinafewdaysandfoundmyselfnoddingalongwitheverythingKingsaid.Itwaslikehewasspeakingdirectlytome.Inthebook,Kingtalksabouttheimportanceofbelievinginyourselfandyourabilitiesasawriter.ItwasamessagethatIneededtohear.
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WithMr.Chen'scontinuedsupportandKing'swordsofwisdom,Islowlybegantogainmoreconfidenceinmyself.Istartedtoseewritingnotjustasahobby,butasacareerpaththatwaswithinreach.
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Itwasn'tlongbeforeIstartedapplyingtoMFAprogramsincreativewriting.Iwasnervous-itwasabigstep,andIdidn'tknowifIwasreadyforit.ButIremindedmyselfofallthetimesMr.Chenhadbelievedinmewhennooneelsedid.
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Afewweekslater,IreceivedmyacceptanceletterfromtheIowaWriters'Workshop.Itwasadreamcometrue.Icouldn'tbelievethatIhadbeenacceptedintooneofthemostprestigiousMFAprogramsinthecountry.
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AsIpackedmybagsandpreparedtomoveacrossthecountry,IthoughtbacktoallthetimesIhadfeltlikeanoutsider.Butnow,forthefirsttimeinmylife,IfeltlikeIbelongedsomewhere.
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AtIowa,IwassurroundedbyotherwriterswhowerejustaspassionateaboutthecraftasIwas.IsoakedupeverythingIcould-theworkshops,thereadings,thelectures.Itwasathrillingandchallengingexperience.
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Butevenwithallofthesupportandvalidationfrommypeersandprofessors,therewerestillmomentsofself-doubt.Writingisasolitaryandoftenlonelyprofession,anditwaseasytogetlostinmyowninsecurities.
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Oneday,IreceivedanunexpectedemailfromMr.Chen.HehadheardaboutmyacceptancetoIowaandwantedtocongratulateme."Ialwaysknewyouweremeantforgreatthings,"hewrote.
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TearsstreameddownmyfaceasIreadhismessage.ItwaslikeallofthedoubtandfearIhadbeencarryingwithmeforsolongwassuddenlylifted.Mr.Chen'sapprovalmeantmoretomethananyawardorpublication.
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IcontinuedtoworkhardatIowa,andsoonenough,graduationdayarrived.AsIwalkedacrossthestagetoreceivemydiploma,IsawMr.Chenintheaudience,beamingwithpride.
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Aftertheceremony,wehuggedandtalkedforawhile."I'msoproudofyou,"hesaid."You'vecomesofar."
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AsIwalkedawayfromhim,IrealizedthatInolongerneededhisvalidation-oranyoneelse's,forthatmatter.Ihadfoundvalidationwithinmyself.
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Writingisatoughandoftenthanklessprofession,butit'salsoincrediblyrewarding.I'vehadmyfairshareofrejectionlettersandbadreviews,butIknowthatI'mdoingwhatIlove,andthat'sallthatmatters.
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Lookingbackonmyjourney,IrealizethatMr.Chenwasmorethanjustateachertome-hewasamentorandafriend.Withouthisencouragementandsupport,Idon'tknowifIeverwouldhavepursuedwritingwithsuchpassion.
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Now,wheneverI'mfeelingdownorunsureofmyself,IthinkbacktoMr.Chen'swords:"You'reareallytalentedwriter."Thosesixwordschangedmylife.
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Andso,Icontinuetowrite,tocreate,todream.Becauseintheend,it'snotabouttheawardsortheaccolades-it'saboutdoingwhatyouloveandbeingtruetoyourself.
