And honestly, that feeling reminded me a lot of coming to Mass Academy. I think a lot of us felt it at the beginning of the year, the panic of being surrounded by people who are all incredibly smart and driven, and wondering where exactly we fit in. Just like Leigh compares herself to the writers around her, it’s easy to compare yourself in terms of coding skills, research experience, math ability, or just how confident everyone else seems.

Leigh spends much of the novel trying to figure out where she belongs. Through workshops, critique, and relationships, she keeps questioning whether she needs to change herself to match the “literary” mold around her. But, what really stood out to me, is that her growth doesn’t come from finally fitting in, it comes from realizing that she doesn't have to. She starts to define her own voice, combining a mix of pop culture and classic literature to follow in the steps of one of her favorite modern poets. 

That’s something I’ve started to see at Mass Academy too. At first, it feels like you need to match everyone else, be good at everything, think a certain way, follow a certain path. But over time, you realize that everyone here is actually carving out their own niche. Whether it’s through our STEM projects or individual initiatives, we’re not all trying to become the same person, we're shaping ourselves into completely different people

In the end, You Between the Lines felt less like just a story and more like a reminder. You don’t have to fit into a predefined mold, whether that’s in writing or in STEM. You just have to find what’s yours and keep building on it. Anyways, if  Leigh can push through all the doubt and come out stronger, I’m pretty sure we can too.