My name is Azareen Victoria Dau (I go by Azi) and I’m almost 14 years old. I was born in Washington, D.C. but moved to Richmond, Virginia when I was 6. I’m a rising freshman in the IB Program at Tucker High School. I was also in the IB Program at my middle school.

I was in my school’s yearbook and journalism leadership advisory in 7th and 8th grade. My favorite things to write are opinion, entertainment and news pieces. I’m especially interested in current events because I’m enthusiastic about activism and making a change. In 6th grade I co-began a student advocacy club. We continued it through 8th grade and focused on making smaller changes in our school.

One interesting thing about me is that I love linguistics (the study of languages) and international affairs. I’ve traveled my whole life, discovering my passion for learning about different languages and cultures. I’m actively learning four languages: Persian (I’m Persian), Spanish, French and Greek. I want to keep traveling and learning as much as I can because I think it might be something I want to study in college.

This is a picture of me and my best friend at a Five Below after a sleepover.

This is a picture of my dog, Coco. This was from her first birthday, last year.

Hello everyone! My name is Amanda Michaels, but I go by Mandie. I live in Milton, Georgia, and attend Milton High School. I will be a senior in the fall, with an interest in journalism and media production. I have always loved to creatively write, whether it be fiction stories, school papers, or just what I am feeling in the moment, and feel that I can write better than I can speak. I do not have a lot of experience in journalism, but what sparked my interest was a class I took in my junior year called AP Seminar. In AP Seminar, we had numerous projects and papers on different topics of interests, which allowed me to choose whatever I wanted to write about and dive deeper into unknown subjects. Although it was very stressful, it ended up being my favorite class.

I have played tennis since I was 7, starting in Long Island, New York. However, Long Island was not huge on tennis, and I rarely played until I moved to Milton in 2015. From there, my neighborhood had tennis lessons from Wes Adams, who is still my coach to this day. I have played numerous leagues including ALTA, USTA and T2, and played on my high school JV team my freshman and sophomore year. I still play club tennis, and volunteer to teach at my mom’s tennis academy for older women. Tennis has always been a huge part of my family life, and I hope to attend a college where I can play club tennis and continue it further.

Whenever I have free time, I usually will be with my friends, either playing video games, shopping, or getting food. I have two cats, Bruce and Cookie, whom I have had since I lived in New York. I also have a sister, Megan, who is 14 and entering high school this year. She is one of my best friends, and we always do everything together. My mom and dad are the people who inspire me the most, and are also some of my best friends. That might sound lame, but my family really is great. Whenever I am busy, it is usually because of my job. I work as a hostess and a busser at Campania, a small Italian restaurant. My favorite thing about working there is the people, who I probably talk to more than I actually work.

UGA has always been one of my top picks for college ever since I moved to Georgia. But, even if I do not get in, I know everything happens for a reason and there is a college out there for me!

Hey everybody, my name is Charles Alexander Cook, but I just go by Alex. I have lived in Stockbridge, Georgia, which is in Henry County. However, I was born in Clayton County, where my mother lived the majority of her life. I have lived in the same house in Stockbridge for my entire life and I wouldn’t change a single thing about it. The house has four people living in it, my mom, dad, younger brother and myself. When I was in fourth grade, I switched from my 40-person school and started at Eagles Landing Christian Academy, or ELCA. This August, I will start my senior year at ELCA and I’m so excited for it.

While I have never had the opportunity to take a newspaper or journalism class, I have taken five different AP classes dealing with writing, history and research. Some classes include :AP Lang, AP Seminar, and AP United States History. I absolutely love writing and the creativity aspect of it. The rants or opinions that you can easily input through your words is one of the coolest things about writing to me. I think my personality is very easily shown through my writing and I think that is why journalism interests me. I can talk about anything through my personal lens and paint a picture that is beautiful and enjoyable to myself and other readers.

Something interesting about me is that I am a manager/assistant coach for three sports and four different sports teams. At my school, I help manage the football and baseball team and I act as an assistant coach for the varsity/j.v. basketball teams. I also act as an assistant coach for the Georgia Jayhawks, an independent AAU team out of Jonesboro, Georgia.

I absolutely love movies and will talk about any movie, any genre with anyone. Movies are another part of writing that interests me as the scripts go beyond just words and can make or break a movie and its quality. However, through all of my interests and passions, my favorite thing I do will always be related to basketball. Since the moment when I watched my first NBA game to the day I shot a basketball, I have been completely in love with the game.

Thanks so much for listening to a little bit about me!

Hi! I’m Burhann, I’m 16 years old, and I go to Buford High School (which is also the city I live in). I don’t have any journalism experience but I have been writing and a lover of reading since I was a little kid. I’ve been in the process of writing a coming-of-age novel for about three years, in which the plot of it has changed a total of five times and I’ve only started truly writing it for the past four months.

Journalism is not the major I plan to have in college, as I am more interested in literature and biochemistry. However, I’ve been in love with the news and media for years, and due to an early and ongoing obsession with Gilmore Girls (Rory specifically), I’ve always had an interest in journalism. Every now and then I’ll get the urge to write about the things around me and whenever I happen to come across a new interest, I express it through my writing. From think pieces about complacency in society and people in power to analyzing my favorite things in media, I’ve always inadvertently had a hand in journalism. Now, I want to become more confident in my own voice and the things that I have to say.

An interesting thing about myself is that I am a frequent lover of all things media, in which I go through phases of. Currently, I’ve been thrown back into my 10-year-long obsession with Spiderman, as Across the Spiderverse came out two weeks ago. I’m also interested in 2000’s – 2010 bands, and softer music in general (The Cardigans, 5sos, Lana Del Rey, Deftones, Leith Ross, and Faye Webster), and lastly a deep dive of anarchism/radicalism (which may have been a direct result of seeing Spider-Punk on my screen for the first time, but is not the only reasoning as to why I’ve taken interest).

Another interesting thing about me is that I love school and learning in general. I believe that by wasting educational resources, we’re doing a disservice to not just ourselves, but our curiosity and society as a whole. This school year, I fell in love with science, or more specifically, chemistry, and realized that I would also like to know more than two languages. Currently, I’m intermediate in French and am attempting to self-teach Spanish with the goal of being language certified in both by the time I graduate high school. I’m also on an all-AP ELA track in high school and plan on being dual enrolled the summer before senior year, with the goal of being able to skip my first year of college.

I believe that there is so much to be learned and with so little time on Earth, why waste the resources and materials handed to us? And while I could write of how the education system isn’t set up to support everyone and is at times set up for students to fail in terms of standardized testing and unavailable resources, this is about me, and I have thankfully always been in places where education and resources are always readily available to me. Due to growing up with immigrant parents who were nowhere near as fortunate as I am, I was always pushed to explore and take advantage of the resources given to me. So when a teacher pulled me aside, in March 2022, and told me that there was a creative writing camp she’d believe I would enjoy, I took advantage of that. Fast forward to today, June 19, 2023, I am here for the second year in a row, but this time to explore my own voice and what I am capable of.

My name is Sarah Buck. My actual name is Susan LaFon Buck but I really hated the name Susan. Susan is my grandmother’s name but Sarah is my other’s grandma’s name and what my parents almost named me. It’s confusing but my grandma’s names are: Sarah LaFon Lawrence and Susan Gail Buck so I’m named after a mix of both of them.

I was born in Newnan, Georgia on Oct. 30, 2009. I am an only child, but I have always had pets. We have three Jack Russels because they are my parents favorite breed and a rescue cat because we felt bad for him. I moved to Alpharetta in 2016 and I’ve lived there since then. I currently attend The Premo School. I’ve been going there for two years and I am now going into eighth grade.

I don’t really have any experience in journalism because my school is really small and we can’t start a program. When I was 7-10, I made multiple newspapers with my friends but they were not fact-checked, edited or good at all — so I wouldn’t count that as “journalism.”

We do do a lot of projects at school though and I did learn a lot about writing articles, bias and what to include when writing during our DACA unit. I have also written some about the news in Spanish for assignments. I have always liked writing, and I really enjoy creative writing and researching topics. I also have a big interest in true crime and I think it would be interesting to cover it, like in “Serial,” which is what sparked my interest in journalism. It’s one of my favorite podcasts and I feel like she does such a good job with not being biased. Because of the podcast I have always liked writing and I really wanted to try it out. Also, because of her podcast Adnan Syed was freed and I really hope I can make an impact like that.

Some interesting things about me are that I have been learning Spanish since I was 8 (with a tutor) and I am half fluent. I play bass and I write stories in my free time. I also listen to a lot of true crime podcasts.

I’m Gracin Harlow Stein, named after famous actresses Grace Kelly and Jean Harlow. I was born April 12th, 2010 and am entering eighth grade at The Premo School. I live in Marietta, Georgia, which is right outside of Atlanta. However, I was born in California, then I moved to Georgia, then Maryland, then California, then I moved back to Georgia. I have two brothers: Campbell, who goes by Cam, and Ryland. Cam is 8 years old and lives at home. Ryland is 15 years old and attends a boarding school in Utah.

I’m attending this journalism camp for two main reasons: I want to be a journalist and I like to write. My dream is to be a global travel journalist. Although I’ve never had any experience in journalism, I enjoy creative writing, specifically stories about crime. My favorite types of journalism are news and opinion pieces. I love writing opinion pieces because I can express my opinions without people telling me I’m too opinionated, which is something a teacher has said to me.

I wouldn’t say I’m any more interesting than the next person, but I still have unique aspects of my personality and life. I never read the news, but I read romance and fantasy books. Currently, I’m reading the fourth book in the ‘Lockwood & Co.’ series by Jonathon Stroud. I enjoy analyzing books and shows, looking at questions of why a character did something or why they didn’t.

Greetings everyone! My name is Keshondra Shipp. You all can call me Kee or Ms. Kee. I’m from the small town of Sylvester, Georgia. I just received my master’s degree in journalism and mass communication last month from the University of Georgia with a concentration in health and medical journalism and a certificate in African American Studies. I received my bachelor’s degree in English from Georgia Southwestern State University back in 2020. Go pandemic class!

Since attending UGA, I have been a research and teaching assistant in Grady’s Entertainment and Media Studies department and also worked as a reporter for The Red & Black, focusing on topics of breaking news and health and sciences. I am a proud member of the National Association of Black Journalists and the Association of Health Care Journalists.

Over the span of my journalism career and time at UGA I have had many opportunities and experiences. I’ve had the chance to interview Raphael Warnock during last year’s election season, go on a study abroad trip to Cuba, attend some journalism conferences on UGA’s dime and take advantage of so many other experiences.

Magnet schools in America offer the opportunity for students to access more specialized public schooling outside of their ‘zoned’ school, but many still lack truly diverse and accessible engagement with the benefits of the program. 

Mary Panitz, a student in the Cambridge AICE magnet at Rockledge High School in Rockledge, Florida, reflects on the ways in which the program has benefitted her. The magnet is an international diploma program which allows students the chance to take college credit courses at the high school level. Panitz shares some of the benefits of the program. She reflects that AICE generally has smaller class sizes, centers on writing and projects rather than tests, and also has field trip opportunities. As a student who loves reading and writing, there is one huge benefit for Panitz. 

“I really like it, I think AICE, has really improved my writing because the emglish classes are phenomenal… and I find it really interesting,” said Panitz. “I think I’m better at articulating nad communicating what I’m thinking.”

Laura Alyssa Plate is a teacher in Gwinnett County, Georgia who formerly worked as a magnet teacher at Eleanor Roosevelt High School in Prince Georgia County in Maryland. During her time in Prince Georgia, the surrounding population was around 80% minority while the magnet system of the district was vastly dominated by white students. In 1971, the Supreme Court ruling in Swann v. Charlotte-Mecklenburg promoted the usage of busing to promote integration in public schooling, but Plate notes that the changes haven’t been truly effective. 

“The magnet program in Prince Georgia County was created as a solution to theCharlotte-Mecklenburg ruling about busing, and it has not really gotten any more equitable since then,” said Plate.  

With much lower diversity within the magnet, the school starts to feel extremely separated -almost into two different schools. The environment of the whole district facilitates the idea that students within the magnet program are better than those outside of it. Plate taught students both in and out of the magnet and finds that those within the program often look down on those outside of it. 

“They (students outside of the magnet) definitely feel like they are worthless in the eyes of the school compared to the students that are in the program,” she said. “And the students within the program often would say things like ‘Well Ms. Plate you don’t have to deal with the other kids in this school, you don’t get it’ without realizing I also taught kids outside of the program.”

Even beyond issues of racial diversity and access within magnet programs, the issue of mental health contributes to decreased involvement. Ren Lloyd, a magnet student at North Cobb High School in Kennesaw, Georgia, notes that for many of the students in the magnet program, there seems to be increased mental health issues, particularly towards the end of the school year with AP testing, final exams and courses coming to an end. 

“I know a lot of my friends who, their mental health was just really bad, really low, especially towards the end of the year when you’re trying to wrap things up,” Lloyd said. 

 Even though the mental health issue seems prevalent, the program -nor the school as a whole- does not seem not to provide resources to support students with these issues. Lloyd describes every school year as a cycle of just coping with the issues. 

“ I really don’t think the program does enough to take care of that. You have school counselors, but they’re not therapists,” she said. “It’s just a lot of  ‘I’m just going to cope with it until it gets better and the school year ends’ and then it just kind of restarts the next school year.”

This strain on mental well-being is not unique to North Cobb.  The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, an American foundation focused primarily on health, created a report on adolescent wellness and cites key factors of a child’s life which could affect their overall wellness. Among factors like poverty, racial discrimination and trauma, an ‘Excessive pressure to excel’ is noted. Students in high-achieving environments face a unique pressure to excel in studies which lends to them being deemed as “at risk” for behavioral and mental health issues, according to The Washington Post. For students of diverse racial, social and economic standing, the presence of a magnet program only doubles (or in some cases triples) down on pre-established systems adding to mental issues. 

Though the dynamics of magnet schooling can create harmful environments for students both within a magnet program and the other students in schools, there is still the possibility to improve these environments and truly provide equitable and accessible magnet programming in public schools. Plate notes that one major change, which the Prince Georgia area is currently making, is shifting away from applications to magnet programs and instead to lottery applications. She mentions the success of the magnet system in Gwinnett County which has always used a lottery system.

“They (Gwinnett County) have had great success with a lottery system without picking kids based on what their academic strengths and weaknesses are,” Plate said. 

Plate also notes that aside from magnet schooling, there are themed schools, school choice programs and other specialized programs which can allow for greater access to the subjects, classes and topics that students are truly interested in. Though she finds there is much room for reform in these programs, she is largely a supporter of magnet, themed, and otherwise specialized programs in schools.

“We need to rethink how we send kids to magnet schools,” she said. “The more opportunities we can give them to find something that they love and enjoy in an equitable way… is going to be where the most learning happens.”

Coming off a dominant national championship win against Alabama a few months ago, many say the Georgia Bulldogs are poised for another impressive season, It’s time to question if they will meet the all-time high expectations, despite a record setting 15 players being drafted into the NFL

“They’re talented players and hopefully they can fill the shoes of the ones that left,” said Claude Felton, a senior associate athletic director. “There was a time when those 15 guys who got drafted weren’t known either.”

Felton provided insight into how the program is run, including the process of recruiting and rebuilding year after year. He also spoke on the funding of the program, just for being in the SEC. “We received a $50 million check from the Southeastern Conference about a month ago,” said Felton. “Other schools like Vanderbilt received the same amount.”

All teams from the SEC are equal from a funding standpoint, but where they differentiate is in what they do independently to raise funds. Students have to pay a small athletic fee per semester to contribute. For fans and alumni who want season tickets, they must donate a certain amount to be eligible for the tickets. Amazingly, standard tickets have stayed the same price for three years now, according to Felton. All this contributes to the program’s budget.

Each school is allowed 85 football scholarships, so depending on how many holes and needs there are, the signing size will vary. According to Felton, the number is usually around 25 per year.

Some important players who moved onto the NFL are Travon Walker, Jordan Davis, Devonte Wyatt, George Pickens, and James Cook.

“Consistency is the key thing to maintaining the level we have experienced this past year,” said Felton. “If you look at the last 4-5 years, we’ve been in many bowl games.”

In fact, the Bulldogs have not only gone to bowl games, but have made two national championship appearances in the last six years. They have posted a 6-1 record in bowl games, and a 1-1 in national championship games.

There are no guarantees, but Felton is confident in the coaching staff, players, and program to do well this upcoming season. Although Felton acknowledges the Bulldogs lost several cornerstones of the team, he feels the 2022 team should be successful..

“It’s all about recruiting really,” said Felton. “We lost some good players, but that doesn’t mean upcoming players won’t become as good as the guys who left.”