ABOUT MYSELF
Esther Ikott is my name, a name I'm so proud of ( hey, don't give me that ridiculous look). I'm a tall Nigerian girl with a head bigger than my father's own, at least that's one of the achievements I can boast of since childhood. I'm an undergraduate of the University of Uyo studying Physics.
Photo Source : 
Hive account@estherikott
I write because writing means life to me, I remember trying to scribble some lines down to form a poem till my soup got burnt because I forgot I was cooking something but then writing as always been the best way I can express my feelings and opinions on issues so I can say I'm a poet, a writer in progress.
Photo Source : Hive account@estherikott
MY JOURNEY SO FAR ON STEEMIT
I won't paint it all rosy because at the start, it was a bit frustrating and confusing. Although I heard about steemit from a group of friends in school who were discussing about 
Hive account@stach story contest . I won't say I was eavesdropping because nature made it such that one can't shut his/ her ears to wave of words so there was no way I could ignore their conversation so I listened carefully to them. A friend of mine 
Hive account@vic-essien later talked me into signing up for it and I willingly did that on December 2017, I got my approval on January and here am I on this amazing platform.
When I joined steemit, there were so many things I had to learn. I remember editing my introductory post over three times because I didn't know the right tags to use, yes it's funny so just laugh it out, but thanks to Hive account@vic-essien and 
Hive account@peterwrites who were always there to answer my numerous questions anytime I came up with them.
I'm 14 days here on steemit, of course I'm still a baby here but I'm willing to grow so I've learnt a lot here, I've gone through interesting and educating write-ups here, participated in some contests and I must confess that it is really exciting and educating to be on this platform.
Photo Source : Hive account@estherikott
AMAZING PEOPLE AND GROUPS I'VE MET ON STEEMIT
Personally, I would proudly say that steemit is really a wonderful platform, not just for the financial gain one can get but also for the social benefits it brings. I've met really lovely people here on steemit, I'll start by appreciating 
Hive account@samstickkz for developing Uyo Steemit community, also I'll like to thank 
Hive account@nobility and 
Hive account@nirgf for always going through my works and providing corrections where necessary regardless of the fact that we just met here on steemit. I will also like to thank 
Hive account@juliank for the wonderful photos from her blog that I've been feeding my eyes on daily and 
Hive account@terrycraft for the weekly poetry contest which a minnow like me has benefitted greatly from. I won't fail to appreciate Hive account@stach for the short story contest and the benefits associated with it. The list is endless so I'll just extend my appreciation to 
Hive account@candyman 
Hive account@photocontests 
Hive account@mustard 
Hive account@minnowsupport 
Hive account@steembees 
Hive account@surpassinggoogle 
Hive account@cgf 
Hive account@runicar 
Hive account@steembloggers 
Hive account@warpedpoetic and other amazing people and groups I met here on steemit.
WHY I AM HERE ON STEEMIT
I joined steemit to learn and also help others learn too. I love writing poems, sometimes articles so when Hive account@vic-essien told me that steemit is more like writers forum, I didn't hesitate to give it a try. My goal here is to reach out to people all around the world with my write-ups, boost my writing skills by reading ideas that are in vogue as well as make friends and also learn from the various educational groups here. Though I'm just a minnow and I have less audience but I see steemit as a great platform where I can relate my views and opinions on issues affecting humanity as well as share my feelings and read through the words of others . I will be putting up my poems and other works, will also be sharing my daily discoveries on different topics so stay tune to read my words.
To add to the growth of this great community prior to the numerous benefits I've enjoyed in my 2weeks of being here, I've introduced friends who are bold enough to join this platform 
Hive account@peace.ekpo 
Hive account@simeonmalachy1 and a few others who are yet to get their accounts approved because steemit is gradually dominating the social media world and I'm glad to be a part of it.
WHY I DESERVE TO WIN
In my honest expression, I would say that this isn't a competition for me. A friend 
Hive account@kanemonday shared the link to this contest for me and when I went through it, I saw it as an opportunity to express myself and how I feel about steemit to a larger audience. It might sound ridiculous but winning this contest or not will not in anyway thwart my purpose of entering it but I'll be deeply grateful to the organizers if I eventually get to be among the winners. I see my winning as a big encouragement to those I've introduced as well as a chance to help me actualize my target of reaching out to a bigger audience.
Photo Source : Uyo Steemit group chat
My profound gratitude goes to Hive account@runicar for this contest and the supporters too for creating a medium like this for minnows to express themselves, be recognized and also appreciated. Thanks a lot, keep the good deeds glowing.
Below is a link to my posts :
https://steemit.com/writing/@estherikott/build-an-identity-build-a-brand
https://steemit.com/poetry/@estherikott/ode-to-the-night-lover-8a17efc5a5001
Once again, thank you steemit community.
