Paul Chandler

June 16, 2025June 16, 2025 ~ pchandler28 ~ Leave a comment

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.

Maggie Liu

June 16, 2025June 17, 2025 ~ maggieliu667 ~ Leave a comment

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.

Alli Kruczkowski

June 16, 2025June 17, 2025 ~ Alli Kruczkowski ~ Leave a comment

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!

Karmen Morrison

June 16, 2025June 16, 2025 ~ Karmen Morrison ~ Leave a comment

By: Karmen Morrison

A Jacksonville, Florida native, a women’s sports advocate and a concert frequenter are a few things that make me who I am. This past spring I received my Master of Arts degree from the University of Georgia after two years of culminating projects, writing and research. Before my time at UGA, I got my bachelor’s degree from Florida State University, go noles!

I was unsure of what I wanted to do and had very little interest in anything until my senior year of high school. ” I was a scholar athlete and that came with many interviews that year about school and athletics. I had a lot of fun doing those interviews and then it hit me, can I do this for a living? It was fun being the interviewee and FSU taught me how to be the interviewer. During my time at FSU, I was able to get my feet wet, learn the basics and hone in on the skills of a multimedia journalist. Never did I think I would pursue a master’s degree until I realized I needed to learn more and needed more experience.

While at UGA, I was a graduate assistant for a course called Reporting I where I gained real-world experience in a multitude of areas. I served as a liaison between instructors and students, helped facilitate classes and workshops, brainstormed and implemented new learning activities and aided instructors in various ways. My time at UGA has allowed me to develop production skills, evolve as a journalist, form new relationships and create various types of content I am proud of.

Outside of school, my favorite sport is basketball. My all-time favorite basketball players are LeBron James and Candace Parker. I enjoy watching press conferences, I love listening to music and I am a huge advocate for the representation of women in sports and women’s sports.

Cora Williamson

June 17, 2024June 18, 2024 ~ Cora Williamson ~ Leave a comment

Leprechaun, Ed Sheeran, Coral, Coco, Cora Bora…I’ve heard it all. But despite my extremely Irish complexion and a name that’s impossible to create nicknames for, I think it’s best you know me as Cora. I am 16 years old and a rising junior at the Durham School of The Arts in Durham, North Carolina. Given the fact that it’s the “School of The Arts” I am required to have two artistic pathways, and the two that I have chosen to follow are journalism and creative writing! Ever since I was a kid I’ve had a great affinity for story telling; whether it be through imaginary play, acting or writing, I found a way to get the many stories swirling in my head out into the world. Now that I’ve matured and I have new methods of story-telling, I no longer find talking to myself as a “sane” outlet and my creativity has become much more technical, though just as strong. I first took interest in journalism the summer before my freshman year, which was heavily inspired by Rory Gilmore and her devoted journalistic spirit throughout the entire Gilmore Girls series. I’m on my schools paper and have recently found that I enjoy writing features on local businesses or pop-cultures role in mental health. I hope to pursue a career in journalism or at least a career that requires me to write. With luck I will be going to UNC Chapel Hill to guide me into that field.

On a more personal note, I have a large variety of hobbies and interests that have rounded me into who I am. From ages 2-12, I did all kinds of dance, but after the pandemic I found that I enjoyed Aerial Silks the most so I have continued with that. I don’t do performances but it is a fun and niche side hobby for my weekday afternoons. I’m super interested in the fashion and streetwear scene therefore I’ve become a chronic thrifter. Of course, a thrift outing isn’t complete without at least two lattes. My coffee addiction has become a trademark characteristic of mine, which is a direct result, yet again, of Gilmore Girls. Gilmore Girls is my favorite series and the witty pop-culture comments and jittery energy of Lorelei and Rory quickly became one of the largest influences in my life. I’ve modeled a lot of my personality after them, along with many other cultural influences like Jeff Buckley, The Dead Poets Society, Lala Land, Juno, Arctic Monkeys and Pinterest, just to name a few. Some of my other smaller interests are sewing, reading, crocheting, photography and collaging.

Durham is a wonderful city to grow up in, especially because I live within walking distance from downtown. I live with both of my parents and have one older brother named Jack, with the most ginger hair you’ve ever seen, and our Pitbull/Rottweiler dog, Pete. I am thankfully surrounded by a lot of good friends that I spend most of my time with. Who else would I go shopping with! My best friend Emerson unfortunately goes to boarding school in Virginia but when she comes home on break it’s like no time has passed. There is so much more I could tell you about myself and all the lovely people who have influenced my life but you’ll just have to talk to me to find that out!