When I was 14 I didn’t know what to do with my life, I was scared, confused, and angry. I wasn’t doing well in school and was filled with regret that I didn’t do enough.

In the throes of trying to find myself, I discovered a Teen Ink book in the Chicken Soup section, and in the end I found out about this beautiful magazine. It’s been 69 months and 28 days since I became a member, and I just want to thank all the people behind Teen Ink for creating a community that is supportive and positively critical.

It is crucial for all artists to find a place to vent their creations, and Teen Ink has been my place. In school I felt lost among people who I thought were better than me; outside school I was just as lost.

When my first poem got published in Teen Ink, it gave me a sense of purpose. It reinstated my belief in myself and provided me with something I could be proud of and claim expertise in.

As I leave my teen years, I’m bidding good-bye to Teen Ink with a faith it will continue to give a voice to teens and provide them with the same meaning it did for me.

I can’t thank this community enough.