Meet Ayz! Ayz is one of our Youth Advisory Board members. The Inklings Youth Advisory Board helps support Young Inklings by serving as peer mentors in our Drafting Workshop, tackling projects, supporting the Inklings Book Contest, and sharing their ideas for the organization. We asked Ayz about her experience with Young Inklings. Check out her thoughts below.
What inspired you to join the Inklings community?
What inspired me to join the Inklings community was the sense of community that was radiated and the kindness of the people that I met there. I was first introduced to the Young Inklings program by completing a translation of the contest flyer for the Inklings Book Contest. After this experience, I received help and support with my college essay writings. Then, I was given the opportunity to join the Youth Advisory Board and I took it full-heartedly. This is the arc of my journey with Young Inklings up to now and I am overjoyed and excited for where my journey will take me next.
What’s one dream you’ve pursued while taking part in our Society?
One dream I have pursued while taking part in Young Inklings is receiving help with my writing and providing support for others.
Why is that dream important to you?
That dream is important to me because I want to give back and provide writers with the kind of support that I was fortunate enough to receive from Young Inklings.
How has the Inklings community supported you and your dream?
I first heard about Young Inklings through an email. I remember reading the email and thinking, “What is this program?” I had never heard about it before and I was astonished that a program like this existed because it sounded so unique. It was like something clicked in my brain and that feeling was only reinforced further when I attended my first YAB meeting. I was scared and I kept checking my reflection to make sure that nothing was out of place. I clicked the “join” button with trembling fingers and saw all these unknown faces staring back at me. I held my breath for a second and was immediately greeted by my fellow members. That was the moment where everything clicked into place and a sense of belonging settled in me, something I had never really felt before. The Inklings community has supported me and my dream by constantly checking up on how I am and providing endless support with my projects, first with my writing and now with my current project.
How have you grown while pursuing this dream?
While pursuing this dream, I have grown by developing empathy for others. Sharing our writing is very personal because it holds our thoughts and feelings. And that is not an easy thing to do, as I quickly discovered in my Inklings journey. Because of that, I have a deep respect for people who put themselves out there and I often find myself nodding along when they are speaking because I can relate to what they are saying.
What’s next? What’s your vision?
Currently, my journey involves YAB and I hope to develop games to aid writers in their writing journey. I am nervous because I have never done anything like this before, but I am going to jump in with both feet because, so far, the risks that I have taken have resulted in incredible opportunities and growth that I would not have had otherwise.
How can the Inklings community support you in activating that vision?
The Inklings community can support me in pursuing my vision by simply continuing to do what they have always done since the beginning: providing support and encouragement.
Support Grit, Empathy, and Vision through Creative Writing
When passionate youth mentor with talented pros, they not only grow as writers, but they develop core skills that affect every area of their lives. In Inklings programs, youth learn practical strategies for developing as artists, gain creative momentum, and tap into the power of their voices as they share their work with peers and a reading audience. Thank you for our financial support of Society of Young Inklings.
