My room was filled with malls, mansions, swimming pools, boats, and airplanes. Between my four light blue walls, I had endless worlds with my colorful blocks called Lego Friends which danced or swam around my room. My Lego Friends couldn’t speak, but I could speak for them in conversations that I couldn’t form in real life. In these worlds, I was an architect and designer.

When I was 18 months old I was diagnosed with moderately severe hearing loss. Tests revealed that I was partially deaf in both ears, and doctors soon gave me a pair of sparkly, pink hearing aids that I called my “ears.” My “ears” brought me much joy as I could now hear what I couldn’t before. Even with hearing aids, I found myself living in my own world and away from the comfort of my Legos. My hearing loss immersed me in a world of silence, often frustrating those who spoke to me after asking them to repeat themselves several times.

Later, I discovered coping mechanisms to combat my hearing loss without the crutch of hearing aids. I decided to lose the hearing aids in favor of my natural hearing. Determined, I overcompensated in other areas by becoming a visual learner and following directions closely. I utilized the combination of my natural gifts and became a fantastic lip reader, motivating my perceptiveness and ability to engage with others. My struggle presented me with an opportunity in disguise to build my fascination around words and communication. Words convey emotions, opinions, thoughts, secrets, truths, and lies. To reach all audiences, including those with hearing disabilities, I chose to diversify the way I conveyed my words. My condition grew my empathy, allowing me to thrive on accommodating others. My struggles sparked my desire to help people whether that be in community engagement or showing little acts of kindness.

Writing is an important form of expression for me, therefore I became intrigued by its profound impact. Without the same hearing as others, I grew more appreciative of the power of words. That is where I find beauty in writing because it requires patience and careful intention with words lying in front of you. As a result, I became a member of the newspaper staff in the tenth grade to spread the magic of words in a new form of communication rather than just simply speaking or listening. I also enjoy journaling and reading because you can sit and enjoy the words on the page. Their impact is limitless. They don’t slip away from your fingers.