Ayşe Kelce

student at Eyüboğlu High School

I am currently a senior at Eyuboglu High School and a part-time writer, debater, volunteer and dreamer. After learning how to read and write, I fell in love with the endless possibilities of combinations that the words could create. I had both successful and unsuccessful publishing experiences with my written work, and my first novel was published when I was 14. Since then, I have devoted my soul to the world of words, following the path of expression with debate and public speaking. I have been a part of both English and Turkish debate teams and one of the former members of Next Generation Politics Turkey. I have participated in Model United Nations and Model Government Europe conferences, hosting the EMGE 2017 as the Secretary-General. Despite listing my resume above, I am an anxiety survivor and a girl dreaming to study creative writing to be able to write freely in a room of her own.

Taking the Wheel: Overcoming Anxiety

I was diagnosed with anxiety which created obstacles in my social and academic life. Expressing my ideas healed me. Admiring the worlds created by some of my favorite writers encouraged me to share my work with others as well. Somehow, writing between the lines felt safer than explaining your ideas out loud. Writing about my ideas freed me in a lot of ways, and this passion was followed by my years in the debate team. My anxiety excluded me from some social interactions however, in the end, I learned how to deal with anxiety and still be active. It was never easy, but I believe that people do need to learn how to overcome the difficulties in their own lives in order to find their true identity.