Words Speak Louder Than Actions Kathryn Gundersen

Just like many others, I've spent my life hearing the hackneyed phrase “actions speak louder than words.” Based on personal experience, however, I've decided that I disagree. I believe that words are magic. Not magic in the conventional sense; a much subtler form of magic, but no less potent. If used properly, words can be endlessly powerful, beautiful, and captivating, and have the ability to initiate so much more than actions ever could. I judge this by the way the power of words has shaped my own life, branding me and fostering a love of self-expression through writing that will never be extinguished.

My passion for words ignited at a young age, beginning with a desire to read anything and everything I could get my hands on. I devoured books, but soon came to realize that nothing was as satisfying as using and manipulating words in my own way. I still remember the very first story I wrote in my first grade journal, with a witch and an anthropomorphic pumpkin playing the protagonists. Today my writing defines an even more integral part of who I am.

Writing has taken me on numerous journeys, each of which has lent me countless pearls of wisdom and paved the way for endless self-discovery. My participation in National...