Poetry has been a part of my life ever since I was a small child. I began writing poetry and short stories, but always kept them to myself. In high school, I began to share my poetry and stories with friends and classmates. I received great reviews and kind words of encouragement to write more, to write for a living, not just from my classmates but from my teachers, as well. It took a while, but I finally went to college and earned a cum laude English...