When I started writing my column, “Teen Talk,” I hadn’t yet reached my 13th birthday. I was 12 when my first column was published in the Times and online at theday.com five years ago and was so elated at seeing my name in print I ran outside to tell my parents without even bothering to put on shoes.

Initially, I never realized the impact my monthly publications were having. I enjoyed writing and relished having an opportunity to share my words, regardless of who was listening. My own family even occasionally chided me about my audience.

My dad once said “Maria, the only people reading your column are 40-year-old parents. How many teens read the newspaper anymore?”

Eventually, I started to gain insight into just how many teens and adults were impacted by the voices and stories in these columns. Over the years, I met a teacher who told me she cut out my columns and taped them to her classroom wall to go over with her students. I met families who said they discussed every new column with their teens at dinner, the topics sparking lively discussions.

I had classmates come up to me in the hallway saying how they related to my article on mental health. People sent letters or emails to me sharing their own thoughts about the relevant topics I discussed in “Teen Talk.”

Through my columns, I was able to see a genuine need in my community — active listening, effective communication and reciprocal learning between teens and adults — and work toward filling it. Animated by a desire to share my message with readers on a broader level, I sought to publish a book as a compilation and extension of my most impactful column topics.

After a search of two years culminating in pitching my idea to the CEO of Teen Ink in March 2021, I am proud to announce the release of my first book, “Teen Talk: Insight on Issues That Matter To Teens and The Adults Who Care About Them.”

Both the paperback and Kindle versions of the book are available by searching “Maria Susan Proulx” or “Teen Talk: Insight on Issues That Matter To Teens and The Adults Who Care About Them” on Amazon.com. All royalties from the book go back into Teen Ink’s mission of helping teens share their voices.

Terry Farish, award-winning author of picture books and young adult novels, shares “reading Teen Talk is like having a friend to be with” and Gay Collins, English teacher and wellness advocate, affirms “If you want to get to know your teenager for who they are NOW, read this book.”

It’s a culmination of my work from the past five years, and my hope is to offer solace to teens and insight to parents using humor and honesty as we all navigate these challenging yet meaningful years together.

Working with Teen Ink, a publisher devoted to valuing and celebrating teen voices, I also helped launch the Young Author Series, a program that helps their most articulate and thought-provoking teens to publish their books. “Teen Talk: Insight on Issues That Matter To Teens and The Adults Who Care About Them” is the inaugural book in the series, and writers aged 13-19 can submit their content and be considered for the Young Author Series at teenink.com.

As my senior year of high school draws to a close, I still bear in mind the original goal of my column and hope a new young writer can continue to help teens and adults converse, reflect and take refuge in shared experiences when I leave for college. Any aspiring young authors interested in taking over “Teen Talk” and providing a platform to discuss issues that matter to teens and the adults who care about them should be on the lookout for a column in 2022 with more details!

Maria Proulx of Ledyard is a senior at St. Bernard School in Montville.