For Dreamers, Thinkers and Achievers
By Paola, 16, junior Most teenagers, I think, don’t apply themselves in school anymore. They just want to get their 2.0 GPA and graduate. They don’t strive for anything higher. I learned from a very young age to try my hardest and challenge myself, which is why I was put in the gifted program in first […]
Continue ReadingBy Cheryl Mattox Berry Dear Sixth Graders, Welcome to middle school. It’s exciting being in this new place, but it can be confusing, chaotic and challenging. No. 1, it’s noisier. No. 2, everyone moves at a faster pace. You probably feel as if you’re in the midst of a herd of cattle being swept along. […]
Continue ReadingBy Cheryl Mattox Berry Dear Freshmen, Welcome to high school. You’ve finally arrived after eight long years, longer for those who started in pre-K. High school is a big, noisy place full of girls who seem to know where they’re going in life. Not to worry, you’ll develop that level of confidence, too. If you’re […]
Continue ReadingBy Cheryl Mattox Berry If Olympic gymnast McKayla Maroney had a do-over, I’m sure she wouldn’t be frowning during the medal ceremony. Maroney, who won a silver medal in the individual women’s vault competition, stood on the podium with arms folded and mouth twisted into a pout. Maroney, 16, claims she was disgusted by her […]
Continue ReadingBy Cheryl Mattox Berry For the past week, we’ve watched in awe as athletes have won gold, silver and bronze medals at the summer Olympics in London. We’ve cheered their victories and despaired over their defeats. We’ve seen the best athletes in the world at the top of their game. It’s no accident or luck […]
Continue ReadingBy Cheryl Mattox Berry Kudos to Carina Cruz, 16, and Emma Stydahar, 17, who staged a mock red carpet show against Teen Vogue in New York City and presented editors with 28,000 signatures requesting that the magazine declare that it doesn’t digitally alter body shapes in photographs. They are part of the all-girl activist group SPARK Movement. […]
Continue ReadingBy Cheryl Mattox Berry It’s the middle of summer. You’re enjoying carefree days doing whatever you like. No fuss. No stress. School is still weeks away, and there’s no need to even think about the SAT, ACT or GPA. Right? Not exactly. Now is the perfect time for seniors to prepare for the college application […]
Continue ReadingBy Cheryl Mattox Berry When was the last time you performed a random act of kindness? You know, doing something nice for someone just because it was the right thing to do. When we’re in a hurry, we aren’t always courteous to people around us. It doesn’t take but a couple of seconds to be […]
Continue ReadingBy Cheryl Mattox Berry It’s official: Summer is here. What are your plans? School, travel or work? If you haven’t snagged a job yet, join the club. The summer job market is still tight for teens, but that doesn’t mean you should give up. Don your entrepreneurial cap and think of ways to make money. […]
Continue ReadingBy DeAira, 17, Class of 2012 I will never forget the day that I logged onto my Spelman College student account and saw that I would get a full scholarship. I thought my eyes were deceiving me, so kept logging off and on. I was in complete awe and admiration for the miracle that God […]
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