Getting to know an only child is very easy because you are asking them about their most favorite topic ever — themselves! While I could be very detailed and tell you that I’m a Leo, in a STEAM program, Georgia Merit student, or how the time I fell off of my bike and smashed my bacon burger created one of my most cherished friendships ever, I can just give you a little insight.
I am from a city right on the edge of Los Angeles — Inglewood, California. After my parents split, my mom decided to move us across country, which was the end of the world to 7-year-old me. My mom promised me a bike to ease the pain. That same bike is the one to blame for the smashed burger incident, but that gave me a best friend so it wasn’t to bad (minus the huge scar and a missing chunk of my left elbow).
With that same best friend, we both tried out for a volleyball club, and that started one of my favorite hobbies. I’ve been a middle blocker ever since that day and wouldn’t change it. Outside of volleyball you can find me reading outside on a hot day because I love the feeling of sun on my skin, or inside my own world listening to music through my Beats. I’m a huge sports fan, especially football. I absolutely adore Friday night lights, every little thing about it. From the theme-matching outfits, constant screaming for joy, the majestical sounds from the band, to the post-game debriefs at Waffle House with your friends. My mom told me to find a job in doing what I love and what’s more cooler than getting to cover athletes and sports all over the world, which is why I fell in love with sports journalism. I knew I wouldn’t play volleyball in college but I still wanted to stay connected to the athletic lifestyle — or at least get first-hand info about it.
Being on my own does have some draw-backs from time to time but it also leaves me with time to figure out what to say when I’m asked “Who are you?” . The fun part is that being so young, you can never have a finished answer to that question, which means I can do what I do best — always talk about myself!
My name is Sara Anderton. I’m learning American Sign Language along with Hebrew. Once I finish those two languages I hope to learn Ancient Greek, Aramaic, Arabic, Irish Gaelic and if I have time maybe some Hindi or Spanish because my mom was a Spanish teacher. I am the person who will know the most when someone faints or has a seizure; I’m also most likely to faint with my vasovagal syncope. I love learning cultures and religions. I love to learn in general, so I love journalism where I can learn even more. My family is a big advocate for education for all.
Additionally, I’m Jewish-Christian which basically means I believe in Jesus but I keep kosher and celebrate the holidays. Just think I know Lord’s Prayer and Shema. I study Tanakh (Old Testament) and Brit Chadashah (New Testament). Celebrating both religions is just fun for me and gets me connected to my faith. How I practice isn’t for all but it is for me and I’m proud of my faith. I also go to church in my school so that’s fun.
I hope to go into journalism either with a small company or with NPR over the radio. I’ve been writing for my Newspaper “Fuquay Varina’s Roaring Bengal” since freshman year. I’ve written about faith, to infrastucture, to school events. I know a lot about boats, space and planes because of these articles. My most notable works are my JDRF (now Breakthrough Type 1 Diabetes) walk article and my four part series on the different religious holidays in spring. I was a part of a workshop called Post 5 where I worked with WRAL, a local news station in North Carolina. I got to see broadcast journalism. I learned a lot from them, especially what I want to do and what I don’t want to do.
I am a writer with a book published on Amazon. I write fantasy war stories, mixing religions (hints: my own faith) and cultural stories where I create a whole new place. I also work on the sci-fi and romance genre which can be difficult. One has many of many ideas but no plot. I’ve made tons of maps out of rice and don’t have enough stories for them. I use what I got from my day for some of my stories especially if someone does something particularly funny.
I love dogs. My yorkie-poodle, Tessa is my little sister. I’m an only child of only children so the dog is worth it. I got her in fourth grade after fostering many other dogs from boxers to terriers. Tessa’s full name is Pequina Tessora Trouble Anderton. Her first name is Spanish for little treasure. Spanish names for dogs are a trend in my family. When I was a baby we had a dog named Quesi (Kacy), short for Hermosita Quesi which means definitely cute. We foster with Second Chances Pet Adoptions. I’ve fundraised for them with my school’s Pet Parade. I wasn’t the first with the idea but I continued it and I hope that another shelter gets money from the parade again.
I am Paul Chandler, a current student, and I am lucky to have two loving parents and an older brother. I have been given a front seat ride to multiple different experiences and cultures. I was born near Baltimore, and I moved down to Oglethorpe when I was two, not having any real memories of my past. We moved into a house in a rural neighborhood, with access to the woods and a river behind our house. I loved when my parents would take me back into the forest on hikes with me and my brother wearing our superhero costumes. I remember when I would get tired, my parents would convince me to keep going by saying that Joker was up ahead the next bend.
I started school at a small montessori school, which I went to until I was in third grade. There I made my best friends which I still am connected with today. I was taught how to garden and have a somewhat free childhood. We stayed in the same class with 1st through 3rd graders for three years, allowing to form deep connection with those kids in our class.
In 3rd grade, I switched schools to Whit Davis, a public elementary on the East Side. At first I somewhat held onto my brother because he had gone to that school the previous year, where he accidently pulled the fire alarm during his tour with the principle. I ended up getting used to the transition, and I met a lot of people with different personalities and stories. I enjoyed it a lot and it got me a good grip on the larger school. That summer in 5th grade I went to a YMCA Christian sleep away camp in Tullulah, where I won Camper of the Year and enjoyed it a lot. I did remember feeling out of place jumping around singing Christian music in a circle, being punished if we weren’t screaming but whatever.
I went to Hilsman for middle school, which is the school everyone went to after graduating Whit Davis. It was way bigger than my last two years of school, because all 4 elementary schools joined as one, so 4 times the people. A few of my old friends from 3rd grade came to this school from the other elementarys that led to that school. I really enjoyed the experience, and I had a lot of fun in classes and making new friends. 6th grade went well. I returned to the same camp in the summer, this time for two weeks. This ended up somehow becoming miles less joyful, and one time we were sleeping in a bungalow type place by a lake, when a neighboring house burned down, giving me severe Bronchiectasis.
In 7th grade, I had an even better semester at school, and made a lot more new friends than the previous year. That November, we moved into my grandpas condo for two months and rented out our house, for 7 months while we went to Switzerland, which was such a special trip that we got to take because my dad had a job opportunity over there for the semester. I was sad to leave, because I was enjoying school so much, but the homesickness wore off after two months of being over there. I went to the public school on the german speaking side of Switzerland. Most people were welcoming and spoke slow German to me allowing me to become semi-fluent after my trip concluded. I was very into basketball then, unlike the majority of the country, who played soccer and tennis. Thanks to the amazing public transportation, I was able to take a free bus to the train station, ride to the closest city, Lucerne, take another bus to the town Kriens, then walk a bit to the basketball gym, where I practiced with kids from around the city. My coach was very nice, and although I couldn’t play in the games, I was able to improve a lot and learn more Swiss casual German. We went to multiple countries using the train system since we didn’t have a car.
We came home late that June since that’s when school ends there. I had a fun summer revisiting friends, and sharing my experiences. Cedar Shoals, the school my mom taught at didn’t hire her back after our trip, so she got a job at my middle school which led into Cedar. I helped my mom move her stuff into the class along with her fish for most of the summer, then started the best school year of my life. My teachers were really nice, and all I had a lot of fun. I tried out for basketball along with 70 other kids, and played really well in tryouts and made the team. Although I was kind of a bench rider throughout the season, practice was super fun and I made friends from 7th grade and strengthened my friendships with the 8th graders. We won the championship that year, and then I tried out for soccer pretty much the next day. I played a decent amount because that was the only pick up game to play in Switzerland, and some of my friends were playing. The team wasn’t as competitive, and I made it. I played CB, which was fun, and I loved the relaxed energy of the team, and even though we barely won, it was even better when we did. The season ended, and I finished out the last 2 months of school, which were really fun, because the real schoolwork ended and we just had fun.
My parents decided it was best for me to go to Athens Academy for high school because they believe the education would be better for my future. I was very sad because it meant leaving all my friends I made throughout the last five years, but I ended up going to the new school anyway. I went to my grandpas house in Maine for the July that summer and spent a lot of time with my moms side of the family, my 3 first cousins and my 50 something second cousins, along with my grandparents.
I started my 9th year at Athens Academy, and I knew one friend from 3rd grade, but it was still akward and hard to make new friends. We were assigned so much more work than I was used to, especially because I never really had homework, and now it was nightly for every class. I finished the year with average grades and a decent education, but I was still sentimental and sad that I left my old life at my old school.
Now it is the summer and I am at this journalism camp writing a biography about my life so far. I feel like I have experienced many shades of life, and I am hopefully ready to finish high school strongly and then have a good future.
It seems that a large part of me is that I am able to narrow my decisions down to no less than two choices. The question always on my mind right now – where do I see myself in six years? There’s the world of hospitals, biology, stethoscopes and scalpels. Then there’s the world of papers, notepads, cameras and red pens. In six years will I be entering medical school after working countless hours in a clinic or will I be applying for a job in photojournalism? This decision exerts itself over my life and is therefore in my autobiography.
When I am not interning at a hospital or writing articles for a blog, I am usually bothering my little sister. Or rather, being bothered by her. Having a six-and-a-half year age difference often means we have some trouble communicating and understanding each other but regardless, she makes up a huge part of who I am. My instincts to care and help others came from caring and helping her as a kid and as she continues to grow, we have begun to bridge the six-year gap—so I have not only found a permanent partner-in-crime but also a best friend.
I am also constantly influenced by my motherland, however foreign it seems. Being raised in the United States since I was barely a few months old means I have little experience in India. The one time I visited that I can actually remember was unfortunately a month of constant throwing-up and jet-lag. However, one person contributed significantly to my newfound love for my country. When he began to talk about his home state in India, a fire lit up in his eyes and his voice was filled with passion. Since then, his connection to India fueled mine, leading me to ask for the first time, “Can we go to India this summer?” Unfortunately, this passion is not shared by my mother so there are no 16-hour plane tickets stored in my Wallet app, but hopefully that will change soon. Until then, dance has been establishing my connection. I practice Bhangra, a dance form that originated in the state of Punjab. It is extremely high energy and expressive and I have been practicing it for a little more than a year now. I have made many friends that connected me to my Punjabi roots, all while forming strong connections with my coaches.
While international plane tickets are quite uncommon, “across the country” seems to be a common destination for me. Since I was born, I have moved seven times from state to state, and more if in-state moves are counted. This pattern led me to develop communication skills early on and I often have little trouble making friends. However, I also developed a strong sense of independence, being an older sibling and also leaving my friends behind often. Therefore, I categorize myself as a quite open-minded and adjustable person.
Traditional art forms also deserve a honorable mention. I have been practicing multiple mediums of art since I was very little but have recently been deprived of time and inspiration to continue. Regardless, art forms a huge part of who I am and how I respond to situations. It helped me develop extreme patience as well as an ability to recover from mistakes easily with little mental toll and a lot more innovation. Other art forms also include music. I do more than enjoy music, it dictates and mirrors my feelings and helps me connect with my own emotions as well as with the person I enjoy spending time with most. We began interacting by syncing our music on Spotify and chatting through the beats, the synths, the key changes and the riffs as they rang in our ears. I have also participated in choir for the last four years, feeling the magical harmonies and chords as so many people sing together.
There are many things that make me, me. I have my titles or roles, like student, friend, sister, athlete and more, but here are the details of who I am. I am a rising junior at Athens Academy in Athens, Georgia. I have a little sister named Ria who is 13. One of the most common things she and I get told is that we look like each other, which makes us laugh because in our minds we could not be any more different.
I have a number of passions or hobbies but the big three for me are definitely tennis, music and journalism. I have played tennis since I was 11-years-old and now play for my school’s varisty tennis team. I love playing competitively, but I also love the social aspects of tennis and how I can hit with a friend while talking and catching up. Secondly, music is a core part of who I am. I have played the violin and piano for more than 10 years, performing with multiple orchestras too. Last year I started songwriting, which acts as an outlet for me to process my emotions while also embracing my creativity. Listening to music and new artists is one thing I love to do, and I will never miss the opportunity to discuss an album with someone.
Lastly, one of my more recent but more significant passions is journalism. During my freshman year, I took the writing for publication course that my school offered. This was because it was the only elective that worked with my schedule, and I loved the teacher who taught it. Besides that, I had no interest in journalism or writing. I had actually always been more of a math person, but my teacher pushed me out of my comfort zone and looking back, I could not thank her enough.
I began to write for my school newspaper, and during my freshman year mainly wrote for the news section. Sophomore year, I was the sports section editor and taught writing workshops to younger students on the side. I started my capstone research project, centered around the societal effects of journalism. Through my capstone work, I am striving to learn more about the editorial process and how journalism is a tool to spark change while embracing diversity. I jumped at the opportunity for an internship at the Red & Black and am currently in the recruitment process. I’m not decided on what I want to major in in college but for now, I’ve been thinking about double majoring in journalism and international-affairs. In the journalism field, my dream job would be reporting internationally, allowing me to travel and explore different cultures while meeting new people.
I am going into my junior year at Campbell Highschool in Smyrna, Georgia. I am in the International Baccalaureate(IB) program, I love to dance at Atlanta Ballet and most importantly take photos in hopes to persure my goal of becoming a photojournalist. Some of my favorite things to photograph include people, cars, nature and architecture. I mostly take pictures at car shows, while camping and traveling. However, friends and family is also a big part of my life and who I am.
My mom was born and raised in Canada and my dad was born in Tennessee, but mostly grew up in Georgia. I visit family and friends in Canada as often as I can and enjoy spending time with the family I have close to home. Because I have grown up in a small town, I have known most of my friends since I was very little and love that I get to maintain those friendships.
As a little kid I was always a dancer. I danced around the house, at concerts and local music events and just all the time in general. I was put into ballet at a young age, but stoped in kindergarden and began Taekwondo. I continued to do Taekwondo until fifth grade when I got my black belt and decided there were other hobbies I would rather persue. In fourth grade I picked dance back up and began to participate more in school and local theatre productions. Along the way I also picked up basketball, gymnastics and volleyball, but dance just seemed to stick the most. I love the feeling of being on stage in a pretty costume and crazy makeup and realizing what all of those long and hard rehersals were for.
When it came to career paths, I had a hard time making up my mind. When I was little I really wanted to go into marinebiology and study dolphins, until a florida trip made me realize that I would have to spend time with other, more scary animals, in the ocean. After that I thought that because of how good I was on stage I should go into the film industry. It was then I became interested in cameras, film and storytelling. At some point (I don’t know when exactly), but I realized that I wanted to make an impact on the world. Maybe it was watching more of the news during covid, maybe it wasn’t, but I wanted to make an impact. I realized that I could still be able to write, use a camera and make a difference at the same time through journalism. The phrase “a picture is worth a thousand words” didn’t truly click with me until I began to see photos of stuggling ecosystems due to global warming, people in poverty living on the streets that can’t support their children, and innocent people dying in wars for their country not understaning what they stand for. No one should take education for granted, and through journalism more people are becoming educated in what is happening around them.
That being said, while I might not have the most interesting backstory, these things are what make me who I am and motivate me to keep pushing through school and life. In the words of Ferris Buler, “life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”
If you were to ask someone, “Who is Caroline Conner?” They would most likely reply with one of the following: she’s the biggest Carolina Tar Heel fan I know, she spends way too much time studying, or she is always travelling to a new side quest somewhere.
Hello, I’m Caroline Conner. I am from Burlington, North Carolina, a medium-sized town in between Greensboro and Durham. I am a rising junior at Walter M. Williams High School. I spend most of my time there competing on the golf and softball teams, taking tests and completing assignments in my classes, and participating in various student organizations like student council. I am looking forward to getting more involved in my school’s new journalism club this school year, which will publish several school-related stories each month.
The other thing about me is that my mood is very dependent on how well the Tar Heel basketball season is going. My parents are both UNC Chapel Hill alums, so we spend lots of time in Chapel Hill cheering on the Heels. A lot of my favorite memories revolve around UNC athletics. For example, if you were to ask me, what was the best night of your life? I would say April 2, 2022. That was the night my dad and I celebrated Carolina’s win over Duke at the Final Four in New Orleans. I also enjoy cheering for the Dallas Cowboys, Dallas Mavericks and Chicago Cubs. Therefore, I firmly believe the Cowboys will win the Super Bowl this year, the Mavs will recover from the devastating Luka trade with the acquisition of Cooper Flagg, and the Cubs will make the playoffs this season for the first time since 2020.
In addition to playing and watching sports, I really enjoy traveling with my family. My favorite trip I’ve taken this year was to Boston with my dad, where I attended Harvard Model Congress. My favorite place to visit is definitely Disney World, specifically the Hollywood Studios theme park. Recently, I’ve enjoyed traveling to tour different colleges. Some of my favorites we’ve seen are Harvard and Northwestern.
In summary, I’m a huge sports fan, I love to travel, and school is a big priority for me. This year I’m looking forward to further exploring my interest in journalism and spending more time on the golf course!
Hello, I’m Maggie and I’m a rising sophomore at Northview High School. I’m 15 and I’m going to turn 16 in November. My favorite subjects are math and literature. My favorite artist is The Weeknd and I wish I was going to his concert this August, but my parents said no, unfortunately. I’m a real big extrovert and I love talking. Talking may as well be one of my personal hobbies, but one of my hobbies has sparked who I am now.
Growing up, I’ve always switch hobbies whether it was from ice skating, swimming, drawing, etc; however, I’ve never been able to say that they were my personal interests. I often went exploring different passions since I wanted to find my own, even if it was tedious, or complicated. I was so hesitant with each experience that I would quit, but then realize I made a mistake. This constant cycle left me feeling exhausted and discouraged, making it hard to start anything new without the nagging fear that I’d give up shortly after.
But over time, I began to realize that my fear of quitting was holding me back to do more things I wanted to do. It made me realize my love for reading and writing. When I was younger, I absolutely despised reading books and writing essays for classes. I loathed it with a passion. You would have never caught me even holding up a book in my free time. Now, reading is one of my favorite past times. I read when I wake up, in my break time, and when I’m about to go into deep slumber. Even in moments of exhaustion, I make an effort to read.
I get so attached to the stories inside those books, it makes me want to be in the physical book. It compels me to start writing new stories on Google Docs. Even if it’s not the best plot or writing, it tells a story. It lets me release the fumes that reaches into my head.
Besides reading and writing, I love being able to communicate with others, whether it’s about their feelings or just random side chats. Talking with people has always been something that releases my emotions and I honestly couldn’t be more grateful.
Hello! I’m Alli and I’m a major nerd, a title I use with pride. I am 14 and I turn 15 in October. I’m from Macon, Georgia and I attend the Academy of Classical Education. I am attending a camp at the University of Georgia for the first time. I am extremely drawn to a biology career and with the help of this camp I might be able to write an article of my own someday. I dabble in art; my sketchbook is normally filled with drawings of my latest interests (currently stuck on strawberry hats on animals).
My interests influence me widely, and my friends are always there to listen to whatever new thing that’s on my mind. Although I’ve had an insect interest for about three years now, I can’t help but screech when I see a spider. I love watching animated shows such as anything with “Sonic,” “Steven Universe” or “Gravity Falls.” My obsession with plushies is great, and I always need to be restrained by someone or something, such as my chronic debt, from buying a new Sanrio plush. Cute things are all I dream of! I also spend my time studying art and learning new ways to improve my own. My favorite color is pink, but you’ll always catch me wearing dark or earthy colors. I love blending into nature and I feel at home when I go on runs in the woods. I’ll enjoy studying or watching any insects I see on the way, researching each one if I get the chance.
When I meet new people I am typically very awkward and I make horrible jokes, so I apologize in advance. I can talk for hours when I’m truly comfortable with my friends. My friends are some of my favorite people in the world, they inspire many of my actions and I wouldn’t be where I am without them.
I love finding out the uniqueness of everyone. Individuality is a feature I find to be the most important in a person, which is why I dislike many things regarded as ‘trendy.’ In my opinion, weird is a compliment that means you’re not afraid to show your true self. It’s truly special when you can click with someone else, but that shouldn’t take away your special spark. It’s important to never change who you are for anyone. If they don’t like you, someone else always will!
Hello, I’m Saybel Shuster! I am from Macon, Georgia, originally from Vero Beach in Florida then I moved here in 3rd grade. I am one of the funniest people you’ll ever meet when you get to know me! I play tennis and am top doubles and singles, I don’t want to brag. I also do electric guitar. I love to eat! All the time! Like french fries, dumplings, cookies and cream ice creams, you name it, except seafood I don’t like. I love sweets most of all and would choose it over savory and salty foods. I like to pass out candy because I always have some on me, so if you’re ever looking for a sweet treat just ask! Another fun fact is my parents are opening a candy shop in Macon, Georgia called Shuster’s Candy and Creamery, so stop by if you’re visiting downtown! I like to talk a lot so just ask my best friend and the nerdiest but nicest person you’ll ever meet, Alli!
Growing up, me and my family have always traveled every summer to explore different foods and cultures. Just last week we went to The Galapagos Islands and Ecuador which had great food and not so much wifi, which honestly I can’t live without. Last summer we went to the Bahamas, and the summer before that, Italy!
My favorite music artists include Billie Eilish, who doesn’t like her?; Paramore, Cigarettes After Sex, The Weeknd, Adrianne Lenker and Big Thief. My favorite shows are “Insatiable,” “The Simpsons,” “Dexter” and “Love Island”. My favorite movies are “The Princess Swan,” “Straw,” “Despicable me 2” and “13 Going on 30”. I have a pet golden poodle, Sunny, and an older sister, Ella.
I have a huge family with my mom having four sisters, all of their names starting with T, and my father having a sister and two brothers, they all had two kids except two of my aunts. So in total I have 12 cousins. I am Jewish and I had my Bat Mitzvah in October. Since only my dad is Jewish and my mom isn’t, we still celebrate both Christmas and Hanukkah! It’s fun celebrating both and I get double the gifts.
As I grew up I think I always knew I wanted to be a journalist, I loved photography and public speaking. My friends call me a very social person. I never knew I could have both in one job until my mom told me about becoming a journalist! Back in 6th and 7th grade I was a junior journalist for 13 WMAZ in Macon. I went to different schools, did Teachers Tops with interviewing the teachers and the students privately, or topics like about our Science and Arts Museum Christmas Tree Exhibit, or the ROTC program in high schools, and those videos were on the news and on their websites.
Yes, that’s me 4 years ago, we look and we don’t judge. I hope you guys think I had a major glow up. 🙂
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