There are millions of us. The loud girls in the back of history classrooms are looking for a debate. The ones who won’t shut up and until they’re heard. Intelligent, young, driven females who are going to change the world, who are the future. Girls who don’t “want” their voices to be heard, rather, they need their voice to be heard. My voice was too loud for the back of a classroom, and so I turned to writing. I found out about a small feminist magazine located nearby. Each issue themed differently, from The Menstrual Issue to the Mental Health Issue. The first piece I ever submitted was written by my twelve year old self, it detailed statistics about the queerest generation, my generation. I loved it. I loved writing the piece, getting feedback, seeing my name in a table of contents, I felt the most seen I had ever felt in my entire life.

 As if my voice was more than the arguments I fought in during history class. I would continue searching for this feeling for the next few years, publishing pieces in every one of the magazine's issues. Once I was thirteen, I applied to be a managing editor of this magazine. Spending hours on zooms talking about the next issue and planning the future of the magazine, I wanted more, to have a larger editorial staff, to get more funding, I wanted the magazine to grow, and so I applied to be a Co Editor in June of 2021. Almost a year later, each one of my goals would be set into motion but yet to be fully achieved. I write this piece to advocate for GirlTalk. GirlTalk is a magazine run by middle and high schoolers, with a rising column in the Montecito Journal and a driven editorial staff, we are just beginning. 

GirlTalk was founded in 2017, this is only our fifth year. We are looking to grow, to improve, to reach a bigger audience and most importantly, to amplify the voices of female high school and middle school students. With opportunities for writers, editors, artists, web designers and more, we are here to provide an open, safe space to change the world. Our voices, our words, have impacts larger than most people know, and so I publish this piece encouraging anyone interested to click this clink: thegirltalkmag.com/. To see what we do, and to be part of the change we’re making. If you would like to get involved, please reach out to thegirltalkmagazine@gmail.com.