My Introduction

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 Hello everyone! My name is Nalayna Hyatt (nuh-LAY-nuh). It's okay if you don't say it right the first few times; most people don't. As previously stated on flipgrid, I love reading. However, something I didn't mention is that I love archery! I mostly practice in the fall and winter because I don't get along with the heat that comes with summer. I also used to be in theatre and it still holds a special place in my heart. I currently don't work because I don't want to overload myself during school, but i go over to my grandma's house every week to help her clean her house. I also help out at my old vocal studio from time to time. As a learner, I learn best when I am actually with people learning about the topic and am able to talk about it with them. I tend to not do well when learning is simply assigned to me without any guidance. I also remember information through writing it down and having something physical attached to the lesson. I know that can be hard to do during an online course, so I suppose that means I'll take more notes than usual.

Looking back a series I started reading in middle school had a lead role that made a huge impact on me. The character was Juliette Ferrars from the Shatter Me series by Tahereh Mafi. While my favorite character to read about may have been her friend Kenji, Juliette made a lasting impact. To quickly summarize her character, she was a teenager who could kill people with her touch. She had spent her life in insane asylums and ended up thinking there was something wrong with her. An escape, a few typical teenage romances, and some fight scenes later, she ends up being in charge of her sector and one of the most dangerous and respected rulers in North America. Now, I know that seems like a dramatic character to relate to, but hear me out. To middle school me, she represented triumph and overcoming anything that stood against you. She was at absolute rock bottom for so long that she didn't know what the sky looked like. Still, she rose against and inspired hope in everyone around her. It inspired me to always try to be my best self and to run towards my problems instead of away from them. She showed me that no matter how rough things my seem or what I may think of myself, I can accomplish so much more than I could ever imagine. Characters like her are why I love books and stories of all kinds. They can inspire and give hope as well as help the reader imagine "What if?" They can give birth to dreams and aspirations that kids never knew were possible. They can give solace to those who feel like the world had given up on them. Sure, they let the reader escape our world for a bit; but they also help the reader imagine how they could make the real world better.

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