Franka CapuanoI come from an Italian-Canadian family, and we have our share of extroverts! I have first-hand experience growing up introverted and have managed to navigate life, learning ways to embrace my shy personality. However, my younger years, especially theyears I attended school, were the hardest that I have ever endured. I was often reminded that my shyness was an imperfection and that there was something wrong with me. I didn't know anyone who was like me and I often felt like an outcast. It wasn't until years later that I learned being introverted isn't all that bad! After all, we're creative-you have to be when you're trying to get your point across to an extroverted world. We're observant-wouldn't we make great star witnesses in a trial? And we're unique-wouldn't it be boring to live in a world of extroverts? They would all be fighting for the spotlight at the same time! As I grew older, I learned ways to communicate better with all sorts of people, and now I feel more confident than ever. I want teenagers to know that things will get easier and not to obsess about what other people's opinions are of them. We are also living in age of technology that allows us to be more secure by keeping ourselves anonymous whenever we feel the need to be. Read More Read Less