Finding Her Voice

    Have you ever wanted to say something but missed your chance? 

    Maybe your teacher called on someone else before you could get your thoughts together and raise your hand. Maybe you had a funny story to add to a conversation—but couldn’t figure out how to speak up in time.

    I’ve felt that way a lot. I used to think there was something wrong with me. I was quiet when other kids were loud. I enjoyed spending time by myself while others hung out in big groups.

    Why was I different? 

    Have you ever wanted to say something but missed your chance?

    Maybe your teacher called on someone else before you could raise your hand. Maybe you had something to add to a conversation. But you didn’t speak up in time.

    I’ve felt that way a lot. I used to think there was something wrong with me. I was quiet. Other kids were loud. I liked being alone. Other kids hung out in groups.

    Why was I different?

    Have you ever wanted to say something but missed your chance?

    Maybe your teacher called on somebody else before you could get your thoughts together and raise your hand. Maybe you had an amusing story to contribute to a conversation but never managed to find the perfect moment to jump in.

    I’ve felt that way often. I used to think there was something wrong with me. I was quiet when other kids were loud, and I enjoyed spending time by myself while others hung out in big groups.

    Why was I different?

    I’ve always been pretty shy. But it got way harder to speak up when my family and I moved to the United States in 2024. We came here from Pakistan, a country in South Asia. It was a big change. Everything was different: the houses, the stores, the people, the language. 

    Back in Pakistan, I spoke Urdu. It has a totally different alphabet from English. It’s read from right to left. 

    I took English classes at school in Pakistan. But it was overwhelming to suddenly be surrounded by a new language.

    When I started school in the United States, I stayed quiet as much as I could. I was so scared of making a mistake. If I used the wrong word, would people make fun of me? Would they be able to understand my accent? It seemed easiest to just observe.

    I’ve always been shy. But things got harder in 2024. That’s when my family and I moved to the United States. We came here from Pakistan, a country in South Asia. It was a big change. The houses, the stores, and the people were all different. The language was too.

    In Pakistan, I spoke Urdu. It has a different alphabet from English. And it’s read from right to left.

    I took English classes at school in Pakistan. Still, it was overwhelming to be surrounded by a new language.

    When I started school in the U.S., I stayed quiet. I was scared of making a mistake. I thought people might laugh at me if I used the wrong word. Or they might not understand my accent. I decided not to talk. I would just observe.

    I’ve always been pretty shy, but speaking up became even more difficult after my family and I moved to the United States in 2024. Coming here from Pakistan, a country in South Asia, was a major change. Everything was different: the houses, the stores, the people, the language.

    Back in Pakistan, I spoke Urdu, which has a totally different alphabet from English and is read from right to left. I had taken English classes at school in Pakistan, but it was still overwhelming to suddenly be surrounded by a new language.

    When I started school in the United States, I stayed quiet as much as possible to avoid making mistakes. I worried that people wouldn’t be able to understand my accent and that they’d make fun of me if I used the wrong word. It seemed easiest to just observe.

    I quickly learned that staying quiet was pretty lonely. I watched other kids make friends easily. They joined conversations without a second thought. It looked so simple. But for me it felt impossible. Every time I wanted to speak up, I was afraid of embarrassing myself. It made even the simplest reply feel huge and important.

    I worried that people were misunderstanding my silence. I didn’t want my teachers to think I wasn’t smart or didn’t want to participate. I didn’t want my classmates to think I was unfriendly. But even as my English got better, I still found it hard to speak up.

    Staying quiet was lonely. I watched other kids make friends. They talked with each other easily. But it wasn’t easy for me.

    I wanted to speak. But I was afraid of looking silly. Even a simple answer felt like a big deal.

    I also worried that people were getting the wrong idea. My teachers might think I didn’t care about school. My classmates might think I was unfriendly.

    I quickly discovered that staying quiet can be pretty lonely. I watched as other kids made friends easily and joined conversations without a second thought. It appeared effortless—and yet for me it felt impossible. Whenever I was on the verge of speaking up, my fear of embarrassing myself made even the simplest remark feel monumental.

    I also worried that people were misinterpreting my silence. I didn’t want my teachers to think I wasn’t smart or was unwilling to participate. I didn’t want my classmates to think I was unfriendly. But even as my English improved, I still struggled to speak up.

    Then I learned about introverts and extroverts. And that changed everything. An extrovert is someone who gets energy from being around people. They prefer being with others over being alone. They might talk a lot, make friends easily, and seek out attention.

    Clearly, that’s not me. I’m an introvert. That’s someone who gets energy from quiet time alone. Most introverts still enjoy social activities. But they also need time by themselves to recover. 

    Not all introverts are shy or anxious. But many of us may seem that way when we’re surrounded by extroverted people. Often we’re quiet because we’re just taking things in. 

    For me, being an immigrant in a new place made things difficult. When I’m at home with my family, it’s easy to speak up. Realizing that gave me hope. I’ll always be an introvert. But I might not always feel so nervous about talking.

    Then I learned about introverts and extroverts. And that changed everything.

    Extroverts get energy from being around people. They like being with others more than being alone. They might talk a lot. They might make friends easily and seek out attention.

    That’s not me. I’m an introvert. That’s someone who gets energy from quiet time alone. Most introverts enjoy social activities. But we also need time alone.

    Not all introverts are shy or anxious. But we might seem that way sometimes. Often we’re quiet because we’re just taking things in.

    For me, being in a new country made things hard. When I’m at home with my family, it’s easy to speak up.

    That thought gave me hope. I’ll always be an introvert. But I might not always feel so nervous about talking.

    Then I learned about introverts and extroverts—and that changed everything. An extrovert is someone who gets energy from being around people. Extroverts prefer being with others over being alone. They might talk a lot, make friends easily, and seek out attention.

    Obviously, that doesn’t describe me. I’m an introvert—someone who gets energy from quiet time alone. Most introverts still enjoy social activities, but they also need periods of solitude to recover.

    Not all introverts are shy or anxious, but many of us might appear that way when we’re surrounded by extroverted people. Often we’re quiet because we’re just taking things in.

    For me, being an immigrant in a new place made things especially challenging. When I’m at home with my family, I find it easy to speak up. That realization gave me hope. I’ll always be an introvert, but I might not always feel so nervous about talking.