Our Story: 4 Your Eyez Only

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH VENICE HIGH SCHOOL

4 YOUR EYEZ ONLY Our Story

This book was written by the students of Venice High School in 2025

The views expressed in this book are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of 826LA. We support student publishing and are thrilled you picked up this book.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher.

Este libro fue escrito por los alumnos de Venice High School en 2025.

Las opiniones expresadas en este libro son las de los autores y no reflejan necesariamente las de 826LA. Apoyamos la publicación de jóvenes autores y estamos felices que hayan recogido este libro.

Todos los derechos reservados. Prohibida la reproducción total o parcial de este libro sin autorización escrita del editor.

Editor(s):

Julia Malinow, Keli Arslancan, Trevor Crown, Cole Montgomery, Mike Dunbar,

Rejoice Umo, Arielle Cunanan, Elvis Vega, Laisha Navarro, Alan Cruz, Talya Ramirez, Alexa Avila, Gaby Tuna, Emily Ponce, and Adriana Mateo.

In celebration of our 20th Anniversary, 826LA dedicates this publication to all of those who have helped make our community what it is, what it was, and what it will become.

Thank you to the students, volunteers, educators, donors, staff, community partners, and time-travelers who have filled the last 20 years with such creativity, joy, and hope.

We look forward to another 20 years in partnership!

Cover Artwork:

Candace Sanders

Book Design:

Rachel Zhu

Illustration by Loris Lora

P rologue

We, The Students

“That’s why I write this sonnet

If the pressure get too much for me to take and I break

Play this tape for my daughter and let her know my life is on it

(For your eyes) Let her know my life is on it

(For your eyes) For your eyes only

For your eyes, do you understand?

For your eyes, do you understand me?”

– “For Your Eyez Only” by J. Cole

We all had to examine our past. Fragments of ourselves we collected into art. And in the process we grew up, just like J. Cole did.

What we show you is selective. Why are you all up in our business? It’s for your eyes, only. Our story.

I ntroduct I on

When does a story start to become History?

For me, History started when I saw Ms. Arslancan (Ms. A to some) move around her classroom on a breezy spring afternoon pleading with her students to hear her song: History is what you make of it, and it belongs to anyone who wants to tell it. Stunned, I knew I had to come back next semester to write a book with her students. More than a book, what emerged was a journey of power and voice.

Venice High School is like no other place on Earth. You can quote me on that. Why? Plain and simple: our students are not afraid of their voices being heard through changing tides. You can see this in the way they raise their hands eager to express a thought, in clothes that scream art, in skateboards against pavement during recess, in words that shake injustice. All soft lullabies that signal Venice High School students are artists, and their artistry feeds teachers like Ms. A.

History is a story told around a campfire, a rap lyric sung, a comic book drawn, and an ordinary day recorded in a journal. Ms. A makes sure her students know that. “That History book over there—History with a capital H—someone wrote that.” The nail art you crafted on your cousin’s hand, the building you practiced parkour in, a visit to your home in Oaxaca, or your journey with country music, they’re all tales of History too. They’re tales of connection to each other and our environment.

The students this semester were asked to find something they were experts on. This could be a place, a person, or an object, but something they could write or talk about for hours to the point their cheeks would start to hurt. Or in the words of author and music critic, Hanif Abduraquib, a topic they could tour guide. In his 2021 Mac Arthur Fellow video, Hanif tells us: “The best musicians, the best writers, are essentially tour guides through the interior of a world that you cannot

on your own touch.” Inspired by this, we invited students to become tour guides of their own worlds, drawing on personal experiences and universal knowledge, just as Hanif did in Go Ahead in the Rain: Notes to A Tribe Called Quest, a love-letterturned-book intertwining memoir and music history.

When we had the privilege of hosting Hanif on a video call for our students in the fall, he shared that he didn’t always enjoy high school—not the content, but the format. His reflective, casual writing didn’t fit the mold. That stuck with us. If we wanted students to tell stories that become History, the way they told them had to matter too.

Through an entire year of writing workshops, a wonderful author talk, many hours of thoughtful planning and stimulating conversations, I had the privilege and pleasure of seeing these students grow their minds, their confidence, their depth of knowledge and feeling. They understood that true knowledge comes from within, that it comes from connection, and that ultimately, it becomes History.

I return to when I first heard Ms. A speak: “History is what you make of it, and it belongs to anyone who wants to tell it.” These students did.

Julia Malinow In-Schools and Tutoring Program Coordinator

Desde Mi Infancia

I.M.

Much of my childhood I was with someone who was an outsider in my family, but took a relevant part in my life. My relationship with my two older brothers was not the strongest. They were both busy with their own business, with their friends, their partners, etc. They never interacted much or paid much attention to me, so most of the time I was alone. But during those times I also met my stepbrother, Yahir.

We met at a restaurant under the pretense that our parents were “friends” and wanted to meet up to talk. Yahir and I had fun playing in the kids area all afternoon until it got dark. I was five and he was six. When it was time to leave, our parents told us that they brought us with them to get to know each other and get along, since they were both a couple and wanted to live together. Yahir and I were very happy to hear that because it meant we got to do the same thing every day. Within a few weeks, I was moving from my small house to a new, larger one, and from then on he and I became inseparable siblings.

We did many things that I couldn’t do with my own siblings, same as Yahir with his older brother, like playing, sharing our interests in music, movies, and drawing together. We even went to the same high school, which for me was an achievement since I was constantly changing schools and I felt safer being with someone I already knew.

We also got into mischief like laughing really loud without meaning to in churches, “running away” from home wearing pajamas because there was a new store on the corner and we wanted to buy candy, leaving a window open all night so that the next morning our entire living room was flooded by heavy rains. I am from Mexico, from Jalisco, and there the rains are very strong. The first time we used a public bus we got off an early stop far from our destination because Yahir had challenged me to press the button to get off. We had to run home without telling anyone that we were lost. We also had fights and accidents like any siblings do.

But we also had moments of support. We both realized that the closest people would not always come from our immediate families just because we belonged there. He was there for me when I needed it the most and vice versa.

We lived together for 10 years until the COVID-19 pandemic started and our parents separated. He stayed in Mexico for his high school studies and I traveled to the United States to try to improve my life. We still talk by text but now it is more irregular since we both made our lives something else, and we are busier with our own affairs. Even with the distance and our few conversations, we still have affection for each other since we keep remembering our anecdotes and even plan to see each other again. I am sure that we will meet again, no matter if it is months or years.

I.M. was born and raised in Mexico. I.M. likes to draw, be with friends and family, and usually stay at home but only to express creativity for itself.

Rap Storytelling

Bryan

Whenever someone tells a story from experiences, it comes from the heart. When it comes to rappers, they think about it, then write about it, but some freestyle it too. Some rap at a slow pace so we can hear it all out, and some at a fast pace for the beat. J. Cole does both. Cole rhymes his stories and also makes the flow catchy.

Jermaine Cole, also known as J. Cole, is a professional rapper known for his lyrical and rhyming abilities. He tells stories from his past and present, like in his album KOD (Kids on Drugs).

J. Cole found himself in school environments where kids were taking different drugs, like cocaine, nicotine, and pills. His album tells stories about how he kept away from it and wanted to be someone different from the other kids. J. Cole writes his albums about his life. The album, 4 Your Eyez, tells a story where J. Cole has people telling him that he can’t be his true self or be proud of his skin color. Fun fact, he wrote this album for his daughter, so when she grows older, she can see that her father went through a lot in his life just to get to where he is today.

The stories J. Cole writes have a big impact on people, including myself, because many have no one to help them in their struggles. Struggles that affect the mind and make it so you have no way to calm down. When I listen to J. Cole, I sit and listen to the message that he’s trying to send through his lyrics.

I remember hearing J. Cole say in an interview one time: “To appreciate the sun you gotta know what rain is.” This quote showed me that even though your present life is fun and joyful, you have to remember where you came from, how you had to go through obstacles and appreciate the journey you took to overcome the trials and tribulations.

When I was seven years old, I went through a lot in my life with the loss of my grandpa. It had a very big impact in my life because I was lost without him. He was my best friend, he showed me how to ride a bike, and be who I am. I always have my moments and look back on the good times. Even though I was in the rain, the sunshine came as I healed. I chose to document my life because one of my grandpa’s favorite things to do was to write. It comes from the heart and you can express yourself through every aspect of life without any judgement. Situations occurred in my life from all angles good and bad, that’s just how life is. I saw many things that made me sit and think, this is probably what J. Cole sees in his music. Just the sound of people and seeing life the way it is today. This is how J. Cole uses his music to spread his message because everyone has a story.

Bryan is someone who loves to be comfortable and stay at home. He loves to play basketball, hang out with friends, and spend time with family. His life consists of love and writing his story through his mind and heart.

You’ve Got a Friend in Me

Gaby M.

A long time ago, before all this weird growing-up stuff happened, it was just a girl and her friend. Sure, it wasn’t an ordinary friend. She had sparkly green buttons for eyes and pink fur that looked magical at the time. Sophie was her name, and since the moment this girl found her at the school book fair she saw something special in a simple Ty Beanie Boo only few could appreciate—a companion of sorts. It was the most special, intriguing thing. A feeling even better than watching Martha Speaks after school or discovering a new animal while watching Wild Kratts— I loved that show; Aviva and Koki were the best.

It was a bond unlike any other. The memories of twirling my finger on her green plastic snap hook, pretending to do my math homework together, and even sharing meals, and yes there is still a bean stain on her fur. There was something so comforting about having Sophie in my pocket during class. Actually it wasn’t just class, It was everywhere: parks, cars, grocery stores... The only place I drew the line was traveling. I was awfully worried about losing her in a totally different state, so I pulled a Mother Gothel most of the time on family trips.

Being worried was weird, even weirder than growing up. As a kid I didn’t understand it, all I knew was that Sophie grounded me of that icky feeling. That icky feeling was later revealed to be separation anxiety, which makes

sense now. She reminded me what childhood should really be like, jumping on beds with siblings, replaying your childish laughter on the oldest video ever, nostalgic kids TV shows, and having sticker anxiety because you don’t want to waste them. Sure, you can have any sticker. Just not that one, and oh not that one, and definitely not the big ones.

All these memories I have of Sophie make up who I am today. If there’s something I understand the most, it’s the feeling of nostalgia that plushies bring. It’s the sentimental connection, that warm smell when you hug them tight that evokes fond memories. It’s the tea parties, the crouching behind your bed waiting to finally witness your plushies come to life when no one’s watching, like in Toy Story. I actually believed that. I would whisper in their fluffy ear and say, “You can trust me,” and watch their distant eyes attentively. Silly right? Like in Toy Story, the song “You’ve Got a Friend in Me” has always and will always be a favorite. Plushies are a support that transcends age, and I am a firm believer of cherishing your childhood. There’s nothing to be ashamed of. You relive something that has brought you so much joy and takes you back to your roots. So whether it’s a Beanie Boo, a teddy bear, or even a Pillow Pet, you can still love them the same way you did when you were seven years old, just as I still love Sophie.

Gaby M. is an artistic and sentimental teen who is nostalgic for the past. She feels fortunate that she can share a piece of her childhood and a story of an old friend. If time machines were ever invented you would probably catch her in 2018.

Cada Paso Impulsado por Mi Papá

Growing up I’ve always looked up to mi papá and practically inherited his personality. I remember him telling me all these kinds of stories about his childhood and meanwhile I learned the kinds of struggles he went through. Coming from Mexico as a young teenager, mis abuelitos made him focus on school. Although they didn’t come from much, they wanted to make sure he had a good education. Growing up in the Venice area, he continued his education at Venice High, the school that I go to today. Throughout his high school years he was into baseball and played for the school. Although he had some tough times, he continued to play because he had a passion for the sport. Throughout my childhood, my parents always tried to give me and my siblings the best and everything they couldn’t have.

For some time mi mamá was a stay at home mom, and mi papá would work on a daily basis, and I would see how tired and exhausted he’d come from work every single day. Even if he came home late or tired, he always made sure to make time and spend it with us even if it had to do with solving math problems. Seeing how hardworking mi papá is, made me appreciate the little things and learn to never settle for less. “Quiero que ustedes sean mejor que yo y puedan lograr tener lo que nosotros nunca tuvimos” is something mi papá always tells me and my siblings. He wants nothing but a good

future for us. While I may never reach the level he’s at, his actions inspire me to aim higher. I’ve seen him accomplish things he puts his mind to so that’s why I reach for the moon—because I’ve seen him conquer the universe. Whenever I have the chance to, I always love to talk to him about my future plans after high school and what I want to do. Even if I complain to him it might be hard, he encourages me to go after my dreams and accomplish my goals. He says that I’m capable of doing anything I set my mind to and how I will thank him for it in the future.

Practically my whole family says I’m mi papá’s twin, not only do we look alike but they say we act alike too. We both have very strong personalities, which we tend to clash a lot and bicker. Having his mindset and his personality made me into the person I am now, it’s led me to having a stronger mindset and being more open with myself. Although I may stumble from time to time, he always makes sure to lift me back up. His words push me to never give up especially when things get tough in different moments. I’ve learned to face my fears and not let temporary obstacles define me. His strength is something I carry with me every day. Whenever I face challenges or feel like giving up, I remember his journey and how he never gave up, no matter how difficult things were. His strength motivates me to keep pushing forward, no matter what obstacles come my way. As I look into the future, I think about everything mi papá has done not only for me and my siblings but for everyone he keeps in touch with. He never had it simple and easy, but always made sure we had open doors and new opportunities at every step we took. Honoring the sacrifice and love mi papá gave me not only means

listening to his advice but also pushing past the limits he couldn’t overcome. My future will be a reflection of everything he has done with sacrifice, always seeking to give me success.

Amy is a high school student with a deep appreciation for her family, specifically her hard working parents who have taught her the value of hard work and perseverance. She enjoys baking and listening to Spanish music.

Slowly Finding My Glow

Lillymae

When I was in middle school I was the type of kid in school who would always be quiet in class. I wouldn’t have energy to even talk to other kids. I felt so left out but I would always blame myself for not trying to make new friends. I did have one friend. Mary was the only one who understood me. She knew when I felt uncomfortable so she would try her best to keep me feeling comfortable even if it didn’t work every time. Sometimes I wondered why she knew me better than myself, but what I did know was that we were soulmates.

6th Grade

In sixth grade there was a time when I got picked from class to read out loud in front of everyone. “Okay, we need someone to come up and read chapter three,” said Ms. Smith, turning the pages. Nobody wanted to volunteer so Ms. Smith put her hand in a jar and mixed the popsicle sticks. It had every student’s name in neon colors, and she would even look the other way so she wouldn’t see. She picked one, put it up high in the sky, and looked at my name. “LIZBETHH, come up here!!” Ms Smith said, returning the popsicle stick in the jar.

The only thing running through my mind was, “Just run away, just run away!” Instead my body got up and walked to the front of the class. I felt so scared that my hands started to shake a lot but I needed to not look scared, I needed to not embarrass myself.

I started to read the first sentence, “Once I left my house I could tell my mom was upset that she saw me leaving earlier than usual–” I looked up. Watching all the students watching me made me more nervous, I felt my heart drop even lower, and my palms started sweating.

“Umm Lizbeth? Are you okay?” said Ms Smith looking at me in awe.

“Oh yeah, sorry. I just lost track.” I said, then I looked at Mary.

“Liz read,” she whispered, covering one side of her cheek. I got back on track, looked at my page and continued reading.

I didn’t know what I was reading, but what was more important to me was that I was reading loud and clear. It shocked me how there was no stuttering in any of my sentences. I flipped to the next page and like that I was done. “Thank you so much for reading Lizbeth,” said Ms Smith. She looked at me with this genuine smile like she knew that was the hardest thing I’d ever done. I went back to my seat trying to act like it was all easy work, but somehow my cheeks were still pink, so I took little breaths to calm down my embarrassment.

I always hated nutrition and lunch because of all the loud sounds. I didn’t understand why I was feeling this way at such a young age, but I knew it felt comfortable to just live in silence. Mary always played with the other kids. She knew that I liked being alone so she found herself doing other things. Sometimes Mary did push me to at least play, “Come on, can’t you just play tag with us!?”

Mary said pointing at the other kids who had all of their left feet in the middle making a circle.

“Mary, you already know my answer, I don’t know why you even try,” I said back, sitting down at the corner of my bench.

Being completely honest, that bench had seen me at my worst. My bench had a nice view, with a gate right in front of me, but I could still see through the holes. There were six trees, about three houses that I could see clearly, and the best part of it was seeing this as the sun shone on me. The sun made me feel seen in a way I never thought I was gonna feel in my entire life. I remember the first time Mary wanted to sit next to me on my bench.

“Hey Liz,” she said.

“Hi,” I said back.

There was complete silence. It was like me and Mary’s friendship didn’t need words to explain how much we understood each other, we just knew.

High School Year

High school was gonna be my first time ever where Mary wasn’t gonna be with me because I’d decided to move schools. I begged her to come with me but her parents just didn’t let her. This was the most scared I had ever felt because she had always been there with me no matter what, and now I was leaving her.

Mary saw how horrible freshman year made me feel and it wasn’t because of the school itself but the students who would bully me. I didn’t understand why I got bullied since I would do nothing in class and I still got laughed at. This made me have a bad habit of constantly checking myself in the mirror seeing if I had something on my face. Meanwhile Mary loved her freshman year. She loved to stand out, and something that made her stand out even more was when students questioned her for hanging out with me. It clearly made her really mad so she just cursed at their faces. It really made me question why she had the chance to be with popular kids, she chose not to.

I changed a lot since summer of Freshman year. I have been focusing a lot on my skincare thanks to Mary being the one helping me out and even putting me on makeup. I was using like 10 different products!

Recently, Mary and I were on Facetime so we could both see my before and after face make up, when I asked her, “Mary, how did you have the courage to talk to me face to face.”

“I honestly found your strawberry face so adorable,” she said giggling.

“I’m so proud of myself,” I said while still analyzing my face.

“Yeah, I told you that you’d get your glow soon. You just needed some time,” she said smiling. “Oh my god, wait! This means we need to find you your love match!”

In middle school, Mary would distract me from my bench

to point at girls and boys playing around and say things like, “I can just sense that they secretly like each other.” To be fair she was always correct when she sensed something, which made me think she might be a witch.

“Girl, just because I started getting my glow doesn’t mean I can automatically find a boy!” I said adding a little giggle at the end so I didn’t sound too serious even though I was really serious about it. It wasn’t because I was scared of the boys but of how I would act when I liked a boy. I had the biggest crush on this one guy in 6th grade, and I didn’t even need to tell Mary because she just knew.

“You need to stop staring at him, it’s just gonna make you look like a weirdo,” Mary told me back then, whispering in my ear so nobody could catch what she’d just said.

I became obsessed with my crush but I’m just glad that I didn’t become one of those obsessed girls who had pictures of their crushes hanging on their bedroom wall! I just watched and observed him because I knew I couldn’t talk to him, I’d literally faint.

Now

I always had a leader with me, Mary. She made me more outgoing in middle school, and in high school, I grew a lot by myself and found self-love. Mary and I are still very close. Even now, we’ll plan dates to hang out, I’ll walk her to her house, little things like that. There was a time where we didn’t hang out for a whole three weeks, but once we met, it just felt comfortable, like I was missing someone or a piece of me.

The Spark in Music

Michelle G.

Ivan Cornejo: an authentic singer whose songs are mainly Regional Mexican Alternative Indie Rock. He was born June 5, 2004. I’ve known about him since 2022 when I first listened to his song, “Dañada.” My brother had introduced me to that song in a car ride we had, making me want to learn more about Ivan. This is one of my core memories of him.

When I first listened to “Dañada” by Ivan Cornejo, I was drawn to the lyrics and felt the need to explore their meaning. It was as if I had found comfort in them. I discovered that Ivan was talking about a girl who was hurt by love since in the lyrics he mentions, “Está dañada del amor, no siente ningún dolor,” which translated means, “She’s hurt by love, she doesn’t feel any pain.” These captivating lyrics led me to listen to more of his songs. Many of them caught my attention, and even in some cases I related to a few of his lyrics.

Ivan has gone to many places around the world to play at concerts. He has inspired many people of all ages including myself. He inspired me with his meaningful lyrics. His music skills have lots of detail in them like emotions in the sounds. You can see his attention to detail on his music videos and even concerts. He has such a calming voice and a soul-touching passion towards how he does his music.

Ivan himself is such a nice and genuine person. When he does meet and greets or sees and talks to his fans he is very nice and welcoming to them. His music makes people smile all the time even in their down moments. I have connected deeply with Ivan Cornejo’s lyrics, “Como si jamás nos hubiéramos conocido, te fuiste sin dar razón,” which translated means, “As if we had never met, you left without giving a reason.” These words have made me reflect about experiences I have had, experiences of being abandoned by friends or even past situationships (as I call them) with past lovers. At first, these lyrics had me feeling hurt but then I slowly started to realise I was actually just relating to them. His words reminded me that I wasn’t alone.

Ivan Cornejo’s music has certainly changed how I see things. His melodies have inspired me to grow personally, like showing me I can do good on my own with or without bad situations. Ivan has shown me that music can help me in several ways, can help me calm down, enjoy, and have fun.

The Older I Get the More I Understand

Angie G.

The older I get, the more I understand. The more I understand how my dad and my sister have been my living examples of how I can accomplish anything I put my mind to.

No matter how tired my dad comes from work he always puts his family first. “La familia viene primero mas que nada,” he says. It’s his family before anything else. My dad has always made promises to me and my siblings, saying that we are his world and we are first in his eyes. He’s never broken this promise, and he’s been a man of his word. Even if it’s the smallest thing. If we have something at school, like a little speech or performance, he finds the time to come, even though he can’t miss work because his boss is strict on him. This past year, I had my first basketball game. He was working and couldn’t come home for the week, but he found a way to finish early to see me at my game. I figured my dad would break his promise, like other people I know in my life, but he continued to prove me wrong, showing me that good people exist and keeping your word really matters.

My sister can be mad at us or have a bad day, but she is someone who always tries to make her family feel better. She always tells me, “Cree en ti misma porque si tú te lo propones, tú lo puedes lograr.” If you believe in yourself, you will be able to accomplish it.

The first time I remember her telling me this was in middle school. We had started talking more, and I started to tell her more about my friends. I cared too much about fitting in, and the people I was hanging around would peer pressure me to do things. At the time, I thought it was cool and I thought it was okay. Her advice helped me see through these bad moments. She helped me see that I could be a greater person. In middle school, I felt like I didn’t have anyone to count on. My sister showed me that even if we got into little fights and arguments, she would be there for me.

Now that I’m 16, I’m starting to realize that I shouldn’t change who I am just for people to like me. If I want to make friends, I should be myself. I shouldn’t think about just going out and hanging with my friends, but being there for my family. Being there for them as much as they’ve been there for me. I can’t make up for the times I wasn’t there with my family in the past, but from now on I can be there for them too.

Angie G. is a sophomore. Her favorite hobbies are basketball and soccer. She likes to visit El Salvador because it’s a beautiful place and she loves to explore.

The Voice of Childhood

Dior F.

Music has the power to shape memories and bring out emotions. For me, Jhene Aiko’s voice was more than a sound; it became a part of my personal history—a consistent part of my life.

Jhene Aiko is an American singer, songwriter, and rapper born in Los Angeles, California. My relationship with Jhene’s music from when I was toddler to now that I’m a teenager reflects my growth, changes, and rediscovery of the melodies that comforted me. In May 2011, when Jhene Aiko released her debut mixtape Sailing Soul(s), I unknowingly, at over one year old, found a lifelong connection to her music. My mom, a super fan of the R&B group B2K, had been following Jhene’s early career as a backing vocalist and music video performer for the group. My mom played Jhene’s music throughout our home, filling it with Jhene’s soft, soothing voice. Even though I was too young to understand the lyrics or the themes of the songs, I absorbed the melodies. Themes of soul healing, self-reflection, love, heartbreak, and spirituality. Jhene’s music was a backdrop of my childhood, whether filling the quiet mornings or echoing throughout the house on a random afternoon. My little mind didn’t need to comprehend the words to feel comfort.

As I got older, I was pulled into different directions. The music I listened to shifted too due to friends, social

media, and my generation. The songs from my early childhood became a part of a distant past I barely remembered. It wasn’t like I stopped liking Jhene’s music, I just lost touch with it. New interests, different emotions, life moved too fast for me to reflect on sounds from my early life. Without realizing, I let go of something that was once the core part of my life.

Years later, on a random afternoon, I thought of a familiar melody. It was stuck in my mind and as hard as I tried to remember the name of the song or even the lyrics I couldn’t. I scrolled Youtube searching for anything that sounded even remotely the same, until I clicked a song and instantly the opening chords of “My Mine” washed over me. The song is upbeat, Jhene’s soothing voice harmonizing with the ad libs. A song about Jhene’s struggle to forget someone who once was important in her life. It all transported me back to a time when I was just a little girl. The feeling of nostalgia flooded me. It was as if she had never left. I had outgrown many things in my life, but Jhene’s voice was not one of them. From that moment, I found the music that had shaped my earliest memories. This time, the lyrics spoke to me. The words I once couldn’t comprehend, now mirrored my emotions, experiences, and growth.

Since rediscovering the voice of my childhood, Jhene continues to be the artist I never fail to listen to throughout my day. Everytime I hit play on her songs I am instantly reminded of my early days with my mom on the quiet mornings or on a random afternoon, Jhene always in the background.

Dior F. was born in Los Angeles, California. She is very observant and can notice the littlest things about someone. She is a cheerleader at her school, she loves fashion, and is known to be very independent.

Lightest Feather Can Be the Heaviest Rock

Skye

Igor Sokolov, a dedicated forest ranger who was no stranger to the deep woods of Russia in the region of Irkutsk Oblast, was by himself. One late November afternoon, while surveying a remote area, he discovered an unusual, weathered item buried beneath the roots of a tree. An ancient, ice amulet with intricate symbols carved onto its surface. Ignoring the unsettling feeling it gave him, Igor examined the amulet and absentmindedly touched the symbols. The moment his fingers made contact, a strange, cold energy pulsed through him, sending a shiver down his spine. He quickly shoved the amulet into his bag, eager to leave the eerie clearing. But from that moment, everything changed.

By the next day, Igor felt increasingly ill, nauseous, fatigued, and weakened. His appetite vanished, and soon dark, jagged markings appeared on his skin, resembling the strange symbols from the amulet. The sickness progressed rapidly, draining him of strength and life. Kira, his wife, noticed the drastic change in Igor on December 2nd, the day after their son Philip’s birthday. He was gaunt, pale, his body weakening. The markings had spread across his arms and chest. She rushed him to the hospital, but doctors were baffled. The symptoms were unlike anything they had seen, and the strange markings seemed supernatural.

After hours of consultation, a doctor approached Kira with a chilling theory. Stepping outside of Igor’s room, she told Kira, “The symbols on his skin resemble ancient Ogham. We believe this illness might be the result of a curse, triggered by an ancient artifact.”

Confused and terrified, Kira returned to the hospital room. There, she found Philip standing next to Igor’s bed, near the life support machine. “Mom, we should unplug him, Dad wouldn’t want to suffer like this,” Philip said, his voice trembling.

The words hit Kira like a punch to the gut. In a moment of overwhelming frustration, she slapped her son. “Don’t you ever say that!” she cried. But as she looked at Igor, deteriorating before her eyes, Kira realized that the artifact was no mere object. It had unleashed something dark, something that might claim her husband’s life. The curse had begun, and now, her family was caught in its grip.

The curse that Igor had unwittingly unleashed upon himself was far more ancient and powerful than Kira could have ever imagined. Desperate to save her husband, she researched every ancient myth, obscure text, and occult remedy she could find. One by one, science failed her, and the supernatural elements only deepened the mystery. Eventually, she stumbled upon a forbidden ritual said to reverse the effects of the curse in a grimoire that she found in front of her house in the middle of the night, but it required a terrible sacrifice, one she wasn’t prepared for. Kira’s mind was clouded with panic and love for Igor. The disease was ravaging him, consuming him from the inside out.

But then, the curse also began to take root in Philip, her son, who had been exposed to the amulet in a minor way after she had rushed to hide it. Philip was growing increasingly withdrawn and sickly, mirroring the same symptoms Igor had endured. Kira’s heart broke seeing both of them fading before her eyes, but desperation drove her to make a choice she never thought she would. Kira decided to use Philip as the catalyst for the ritual, hoping that the ancient magic could reverse the effects of the curse on Igor. The ritual required a willing subject, and Kira convinced herself that it was the only way to save her husband. The amulet’s energy, however, twisted the ritual in ways she could never have foreseen. Philip, as he underwent the ritual, was transformed into something far worse than human, a creature made of calcite, his body solidifying into jagged, sharp edges. He became a grotesque, humanoid monster, every inch of him an inhuman mockery of the son she had once known.

The calcite that encased his body was both beautiful and horrific, like a statue coming to life, and yet he was not truly alive, only a twisted shell of his former self. The moment he opened his eyes and saw what had happened to him, the horror overwhelmed him. In a fit of confusion and rage, Philip’s monstrous hands reached toward Kira. He didn’t understand what had happened, but his instinct was to destroy everything that had caused his pain. In one swift movement, he tore off Kira’s jaw, her scream silenced forever. As he stood there, surrounded by the ruins of his own humanity, Philip looked down at his mother. The calcite covered hands that had once been hers reached out to him, but he was beyond any form of comfort. His gaze locked with hers, and for the first time in his new form, a realization

dawned. He could no longer see her as the same person who had given birth to him. She had turned him into this thing, this monster.

With horror and shame flooding his heart, he turned and fled into the night, the curse now fully realized, the darkness claiming not just his father, but his own soul as well. Kira, now voiceless and crippled, lying broken in the hospital room, filled with rage and grief, blamed Philip for everything since the moment he mentioned having his dad unplugged. She convinced herself that it was his transformation into a monster that had destroyed her family, not the amulet. Consumed by vengeance, she vowed to make him pay for what he had become.

The curse, though powerful, was not the true enemy in her eyes. Her son was. She would find him and make him suffer for the agony he had caused, believing he was the source of their continued pain.

Skye is the author of this story. He is a person that reads a large quantity of comic books. His favorite comics are DC vs. Vampires, DC vs. Vampires: World War V, and Howard the Duck and Sinister Sons. On the side, he draws and makes his own comics.

Joshua C.

MEANWHILE AT OSCORP SCIENCE FACILITY, A COUPLE STREETS DOWN...

YOU RE GONNA LOVE THIS!

a scientist named dr. connors was currently plotting an experiment...

THANKS MOM! THANKS DAD! HAPPY BIRTHDAY JOSH! YOU’VE GROWN UP SO FAST!

MARCH 16 2025 TH LOS ANGELES, CA

WAIT, SO WHERE ARE WE GO NG TO EAT?

I’M STARVING.

we’re gonna eat as fiesta martin! the best Mexican restaurant in town!

the cabrera family loved this place

The plan s to make a t me machine to hopefully find a cure for cancer.

the ma n dea was to go back in time to study cancer’s origin and eventually find a cure even faster than the current pace.

a smaller abdomen than other spiders

oscorp used to be all over the place with exper ments unt l they entered the f e a s t program which gave them this sp der it was kept in a safe compartment until. . who in the hell left the door to the spier open?!?

march 16 , 2025, 1:15 PM th

the spider suddenly van shed one morning. no trace, no noth ng.. .

No mom it’s not about a girl, I’m just... hungry... that’s all.

same day, 3:15 PM everything okay, josh? something on your mind? Is it about a girllllll? that wasn’t it at all... he missed HIM.

meanwhile, the spider had ended up climbing inside an a.c. vent

turns out it was the same building josh and his family were in!

the spider dangled and went down, landing on josh’s head what? i just felt something run down my head then onto my neck...

It’s running down my shoulders like it’s a... spider? don’t know but...

I Feel it on my hand.

Josh, Rise and shine! Are you sure you’re ok?

I was r ght. But it looks different than other spiders I’ve seen... what are you lil’ guy?

ARGH!! The dumb thing bit me!

What the Hell is this?! It’s like a liquid gold running through me! i have to cover this up Asap!

The spider venom was climb ng through josh s blood!

30 m nutes later i literally don’t feel any different... what the hell was that bite supposed to do?

I’m not complaining though...

ugh! th s food is always amazing! right!? totally! 2 hours later eh, yeah. It was good. Thanks pa! Wasn t that one good meal?

Well, my food’s here. Eat up!

I got to say, dad, Mexican food slaps!

josh went to sleep like a baby that night, all n ce and cozy. 11:00 PM

Now that josh was 16, he didn’t know what to do with h s time

He wanted to try something new, just didn’t know what

6:00 AM the next day josh woke up for school but someth ng had changed. Man, that was the best sleep I’ve had in a while!

suddenly, josh noticed his body was shredded.

is this a dream? if so, i don’t like it.

he was fresh out the shower.

*sigh* out of nowhere josh had gotten three nches taler than yesterday i could have sworn i was shorter ? not compla n n ! what is happening with me?!

what the...?!

What is this?!

THWIP!

he was th nk ng that hopefully he would f nd a new hobby soon

what s happening? can’t be seen shooting these webs out of my wrist randomly! I’m just gonna have to be careful. Really careful...

Josh headed to school an hour later, after gett ng ready. as nervous as he was of his now curse, he had to be careful.

down the road was h s dad’s car.

josh sensed it, almost before it happened

i should go follow my instincts, something’s calling me!

A sixth sense hit josh like a truck get out the car!

you are outnumbered. give us the car and everything else you got, now!

i have to help my dad or else i wouldn’t know what to do with myself... and with my new... powers!

can help him, but i need to hide my face.

And gooooo! this random web makes me like a spider... Man? That should be my name! hate to break it to ya fellas but that’s not happening What is that?

give us everything you have chump, or I’ll shoot!

argh! all i could find for a mask was this paper bag from the garbage, it stinks!

doesn’t matter, dad needs me! wham!

spider-man then came to save his father right before the criminals opened fire! go scram before you get a piece of my... iron fists!

look kid, this ain’t about you. go to your looser school.

you re no sp derman, you’re bagman if anything

oh... word!? beat that! who’s next? anyone want a go?

at your commandcaptain!standing by.

roger! he seems like just a kid to me. if he wins against me, we run for our lives for no one can beat me.

do i hear a challenge from the strongest of you filthy rodents here?

’ll k ll you! i ll show you the top of the food chain! you are the kind of people that make others scared to walk the streets. but now there’s someone new at the top of the food cha n that someone is ME! it would be a shame to bring you to extinction. Such a shame... hit me with your best shot, homeboy

we gotta go... I said run! one fight later...

a couple of weeks later josh had jo ned karate to be more like spider-man n the past weeks sp der-man had became an nspirat on to the commun ty even got sponsors and ads!

dr. connors

today on local news, a “sp der-man’ was seen saving a cit zen from a robbery. who s he? What’s his next move? is he on our side?

ROAR!

who does he think he is? Some kind of celebrity? I’ll show him and then we’ll have our funding back.

many hours later yes it’s working! The time machine works. we have reached a new era of humanity. what the... I thought the portal would bring us to the past! not bring the past to us! But... I can make use of this animal.

you’re telling me we don t have money to finish the research? Why? because of that spider guy?! No, I’m not doing this on my own.

after trying to drug the t-rex, dr.connors’ arm got cut off eventually the t-rex went to sleep i... have to stop the bleeding... f m x a lizard and the t-rex dna... and inject it into me, it should fix this .

if I inject this, the regeneration will help. what s happening?

LET’S GO AND KILL THIS SPIDER together t-rex, MY NEW FRIEND...

ready as could be SP DEr-man JO NED THE FIGHT W TH DR CONNORS ––now “the lizard”–– AND THE T-REX wearing a brand new SUI T FOR NOW I AM YOUR KING, t-rex! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO MY T-REX?

I MADE T INTO A CREATURE THAT SERVES WITH PRIDE, NOT TORTURES TO SERVE BABY, IS THAT YOU? ARE YOU SPIDERMAN!? HIM

AHA! I’VE FOUND HIS BOYFRIEND! I’LL KILL HIM FIRST! YOU ARE ALL TRICKS THAT SPEED WON’T SAVE YOU, SP DER! NO... I CAN’T MOVE... WHY? MOVE BODY! I SAID MOVE!!! OR ELSE I’LL DIE.

JOSH PUT EVERY HIT OF STRENGTH ON HIS BODY EVERY NCH OF SPEED AND

I... I’m not done!

light step... flash! sonic wind... deadly blow... seismic slash... bam!

oh, I know you’re not. but after him, you will be. wait no, please! I surrender, just don’t do this! take me to jail or something.

stand down l zard. You’re done.

oh no, you’re not gonna die you re just the big guy s new fetch ng toy now, have fun! i’m so tired i can’t run. i have to check on him. are you ok sweetheart? I’m so sorry, don’t know what happened back there-i heard all the no ce, the destruct on, the screams, i was so scared... i m still scared, josh. i thought i lost you... you know i’ll always come back to you... right? if you insist my love... if you insist. prove it then, my sweet spider hero.

Role Modelz

Malaya G.

I was born in Apple Valley, CA, raised in Los Angeles, and grew up in a family who took sports seriously.

My mom ran track and was a huge Flo Jo fan. Flo Jo retired in 1989, the year my mom was born, so she wasn’t poppin’ when my mom liked her, but my mom never cared about what people thought. Flo Jo, the first African American woman to go to the Olympics and win at track, was always known to be out of the box, always having goofy designs and long nails even if they didn’t look right. Flo Jo was good, she was always dusting the race, but what’s most important about Flo Jo was her confidence and her courage.

Flo Jo passed away around the time of my first track meet. I was eight years old, and I remember it really affected my mom emotionally to the point where my mom wasn’t goofy anymore. It felt weird because we were always goofy with each other. I didn’t feel her support and things didn’t feel right for a while. But that’s when she surprised me at my meeting in a different mood and things started to feel right again.

I felt embarrassed but I was really happy to see her. She showed up looking like an 80’s gym instructor with a blue-red-gold leotard with a Wonder Woman sign on it, a blue two-piece jacket and sweats, and two scrunchies in her hair, ponytail to the side. I never saw her like this, and thought, “Why are you wearing this right now. What’s happening?” Everyone else had jeans

on, and suddenly you’d see this crazy lady walking out of nowhere up to the stands wearing that. This is when I knew that I had my mom back, and Flo Jo was still with her. Even if she was in a bad mood, she was there, and her confidence made me want to run again.

After my first track meet, my mom considered that it was time for me to take it seriously so she had me practice with my cousins who were older and who ran track longer than me. One day, my cousins and I were watching a college track meet in the living room and we came across Sha’Carri Richardson. My cousins weren’t that interested in her because she wasn’t winning but I was super entertained because even when she didn’t win, her style was just so out of the box, like Flo Jo, and it made me really like her from the start. After that day, I watched every track meet that mentioned LSU because that’s where Sha’Carri Richardson attended. In 2019, Sha’carri broke the World U20 record and the media was going crazy and so was I. I would always replay the video of her breaking the record because I was just so amused on how she did it. I told my mom that I wanted to break the world record one day and be just like Sha’Carri and after that day she took it seriously and so did I.

My mom would have me practice with grown people because my mom wanted me to always be prepared for anything. I used to hate it but I soon saw that Sha’carri always practiced with men because men were always the “dominant” ones in the races, and I thought maybe working with grown people was better for me. Track was the best for me because of the discipline and for how sleepy it made me afterwards. But the real motivation for me was Sha’carri’s interviews and track meets.

On the first day of middle school outside LA, I was super scared because there were so many kids and the campus was huge. I wasn’t used to it. I never thought I’d make friends the way I did, but it happened so naturally. My mom always told me I was an outgoing person but I’d never seen myself like that, I’d always seen myself as a person who stayed to herself. My first ever friend was Jayla and she ran track too. She was super sweet and caring but she hung around the wrong crowd. I started to miss out on practice because I thought that was cool. My grades dropped, I kept sneaking things, getting into fighting, etc. My mom thought it was best if I moved back to LA to be more grounded and get back to the things I normally do.

I soon started playing softball and it was actually fun because I was now playing as a team and not as one. It did feel different and not as fun as track but it felt good to play. My first ever game was against Fairfax and it didn’t go as planned. I felt like my stomach was turning and the world was ending but I just remembered when Sha’carri Richardson lost to Julien Alfred. She wasn’t upset, she simply said, “This isn’t the last time you will be seeing me and it’s not the end.” After that day, I have played every position in softball and kept a great mindset even if it didn’t go my way. I did feel a little overwhelmed taking people’s spots because they weren’t as good. At a point in time, I did feel exhausted but I always kept Sha’carri Richardson in mind because she always kept an open and positive mindset even in negative situations.

Sha’carri is now and has been the greatest of all time, and she’s inspired me to be the next greatest of all time.

Malaya is a girl born in the small town of Apple Valley, CA who has moved to Los Angeles. Los Angeles shaped her into an outgoing party person, always having a strong mindset. When she is not being active in sports, she is somewhere helping around with her family or taking time for herself. She enjoys being a caring person and always looking up to her peers.

Sandler Movies

Justin

G. The first Adam Sandler movie I ever saw was Grown Ups 2. I watched it at my house when I was four or five years old. I loved the fight between Adam, his friends, and the frat boys. I always thought that scene was funny and whenever a movie of Adam Sandler’s comes on, I always stick around to watch it.

Movies like Happy Gilmore, Big Daddy, Uncut Gems, and Hustle really put me on to him by showing how many characters he could play and how he could always bring comedy to his films, even when he was playing a serious role. For example, in Uncut Gems he plays a sarcastic and confident jeweler who wins a bet with Kevin Garnet from the Celtics and makes a lot of money that gets him in trouble. When I first watched it, I felt like it was a different type of movie, and I didn’t know if it was gonna be funny because Adam Sandler was serious. His role in Hustle was similar. Hustle is about Adam going to different states and countries to scout for players for the Sixers. Both movies show that he can be serious with just a hint of the comedic sense. He shows a depth of humor that sometimes it’s not even the purpose of the scene, but that’s what I like about the films Adam Sandler is in.

There’s many ways Adam can adapt from movie to movie and even in real life. You can see him being a goofy guy in Billy Madison, to him trying to be a serious cop in Bullet Proof or a doctor who lost his family in the 9/11

attacks. Even in his not-so-comedic roles he tricks the audience on how he does comedy to digest things that are a little more real.

Currently, my favorite movie by him is Big Daddy which came out in 1999. The reason why I like it so much is the way his character’s life changes when he meets his kid. Sandler tries to make himself a better person because of him. At first, he is all depressed and thinks he can’t take care of this kid. Eventually, he shows his girlfriend Vanessa that he can really be something. By the time he realizes he can take care of the kid, Social Services takes him away but he fights back to get him. I like that his character makes something of himself. This is real, like a real story someone can go through. Adam Sandler shows that he can be an underdog and that it’s okay to struggle and to make something of yourself.

In the movie 50 First Dates, he meets a girl played by Drew Barrymore and finds out she lost part of her memory and only remembers things from the day before her accident. When Adam Sandler’s character finds out, he tries his hardest for her just to remember a little part of him and it all works in the end. In all, I think when it comes to seeing Adam Sandler and his movies, people take different ways of his movies and the way he can be liked. At the end of the day, he’s just an underdog that wants to prove he’s something.

Adam Sandler has shown me it’s okay to be an underdog and help out people just like in 50 First Dates. People struggle and that’s okay but it’s always important to pick yourself back up and reflect on that and say, “I went through that but I’m better from when I was down.” I’ve

seen that in many of his movies and that’s why I like them! They get real and that’s how life can be.

Justin G. was born and raised in West Los Angeles. He likes 90s and 2000s rap, R&B, and enjoys listening to many artists to start his day. He also likes to watch movies like The Hangover, American Pie, Marvel movies and really any type of comedy. Every other few months he goes to Disneyland since he has the pass, and goes to his favorite rides with his tía like Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission Breakout and The Incredicoaster. His favorite food is lemon pepper wings and to drink, a Cherry Dr. Pepper.

You Can Do It

My family has always been a big part of my life and always will be. I was always overprotective of my cousins one to two years younger or older even. I would defend them in any situation; it could be over the smallest situations too. I would care for each of my cousins that I’m close with like a sibling. This one time, my cousin and I were playing around in my grandparents’ backyard. I was eight or nine at the time, we were playing soccer and we took it very seriously. We were running around and she tripped and scraped her knee. She was in pain and I told her we’d stop playing and go inside so I could help her disinfect it and put a bandaid on it. Taking care of each other went both ways.

In middle school, I was still figuring out what I wanted to do. I started to really think about my future because the years started flying by. I was always interested in caretaking/helping others, and being in the medical field in general. I always found myself watching movies or shows that were related to the career I want to pursue. When my first niece was born, I saw her as a sister because we lived together for a long time. We did a lot of things together. We were five years apart. Now that I think back on it, I was always there helping her and we kept each other company. I loved, and still love, that feeling of helping people.

Now that the years have gone by, I have a nephew and

a newborn niece whom I’ve recently been devoting lots of time and attention to by choice. I try to maintain her comfort whether that’s through changing her diaper, feeding her, or reading her books. I can hold her for hours and don’t mind. I honestly find comfort in taking care of my family members. I see and follow the same pattern in helping out and taking care of them generation after generation. I didn’t mind doing so and it would never bore me.

My experience in caretaking has made me see my own potential. It helped me take action for myself and join two clubs at school that helped me get college ready, one that brings me closer to my culture and the other more career related. I’m learning to take advantage of the resources available to me. I am constantly seeking advice to better myself and time manage with everything I do. All that I am doing, and getting told I am on the right path, only makes me strive for better. I want to be in the medical field, and all that I have experienced led me to realize my passion for caretaking and helping others. My motivation is to live somewhere comfortable, a roof over my head, food, and financial stability. This isn’t even half of it. Most importantly, I want to choose the career that makes me happy, especially if I will be working hours a day. Might as well go to work doing something I love: helping others.

Emily is the youngest out of five girls. Both of her parents are from Mexico but in different cities. She was raised with good music taste. She has been told she is proactive, funny, and kind.

The Wolf Trilogy

Leilani P.

Tyler, The Creator released his first ever album in 2009. It was posted on his website called Odd Future as a free download for anyone to listen to. The album cover showed a picture of a school classroom with kids’ faces being slightly messed up by a transparent red filter, and the word ‘bastard’ plastered in the middle. There were two covers for the same album. The other one was a transparent blue filter. When Tyler got asked about it he mentioned that the red was evil and the blue was happy.

The title Bastard meant something about his parents since the word means “a child born to parents who are not married to each other.” The kids’ faces being slightly distorted in the cover showed how Tyler felt compared to the other kids who probably had a normal life and a normal father. This was a way for Tyler to let out his anger by ruining the children’s faces as it also showed that the absence of his father played a big role in this album and in his life.

A couple of years later, Tyler released two more albums: one called Goblin (released in 2011) and the other one called Wolf (released in 2013). All three of these albums made a story about Tyler talking to a school therapist because he had some mental health issues. Tyler went on and talked to his therapist about all kinds of things, like disturbing events, the absence of his father and even thoughts of death. The three projects

were all connected, as each album represented his alter ego. Igor was the side of Tyler in love with a girl who broke his heart, and now trying to push her out of the picture. Bastard ’s alter ego was Ace, and Sam was the rebellious side of Tyler, always finding a way to get in trouble. The alter egos showed Tyler’s many sides and the kind of emotions he went through, or what went on in his head at that time.

It was all in Tyler’s head, and it was making him go insane and think that these other alter egos were actually human when they aren’t. The Goblin album revealed how Tyler’s mental state declined more and more through each track. By the last track, Tyler’s therapist said, “I know everything, I know everything about you. You’ve been helping yourself this whole time. Your friends, they’re just figments of your imagination.” This was weird for a therapist to tell a client.

Then, the therapist said, “Dr. TC, see Tyler, I’m your conscience. I’m Tron Cat, I’m Ace, I’m Wolf Haley, I’m… me.” This proved that Tyler was talking to himself, being his own therapist without even knowing until the end of the Goblin album.

Tyler’s work amazes me by how just one person can air out their feelings in their own words and their own way of doing it. I live for these kinds of albums! They mean so much to me and I connect with them, which makes me able to not just talk about them, but listen to them on repeat.

Leilani P.’s whole life has been and still is dedicated to music. Her favorite artists are Tyler, The Creator, Oakwood and The Smiths. She can be a very quiet person but can also be very talkative if she wants to, and she can talk a lot (trust her).

Aubrey Drake Graham

Kaylie

My topic is on one of the most influential figures in the music industry. Aubrey Drake Graham was born on October 24, 1986 in Toronto, Canada. He is mostly known for his music, but he first gained some recognition as an actor on the show Degrassi, from 2001-2009. He played the character of Jimmy Brooks. His music career really took off when he released his mixtape So Far Gone in 2009. That album includes the song “Best I Ever Had,” which was a big hit and put him in the spotlight.

Drake’s debut album was Thank Me Later, and it was a huge success, even hitting number one on the Billboard 200. He continued to stay on the music charts with all of his next albums such as Take Care, Views, and For All the Dogs. He’s done well in making music in different genres, leading him to win awards like the Grammys. Drake has made many contributions to the entertainment industry. He has ventured into producing, acting, and founded OVO Sound, a record label which has signed many successful artists.

I find that music is a big part of my life and I specifically like Drake’s music because he’s adventured into different genres. When I first really started to listen to him I was in seventh grade. I remember being in my first period history class listening to Drake while doing my work. Ever since then, my love for his music grew.

One of my favorite memories involving Drake’s music was when I saw him in concert with my mom on August 15, 2023 at the Kia Forum. On this day, I felt a mix of emotions and a rush of adrenaline from the excitement. Drake was one of the best performers I had seen so far. He put on a great show. This was a core memory because it was a bonding moment between my mom and I. It was an overall great experience especially because I heard my favorite song at the time—“Marvin’s Room”—live. I think that was honestly my favorite moment of the night, just hearing that song performed in front of me.

I like listening to Drake’s music because it’s very diverse and something I can listen to no matter how I’m feeling.

Kaylie is a teenage girl who has always loved Drake since she heard his music. That’s how she feels comfort… She also loves to be around friends with the same music taste.

James Harden: A Dream Chaser

Joseph

James Harden is one of the greatest basketball players in the NBA. In 2018, he had an incredible season with the Houston Rockets and won the MVP award. His famous step-back three-pointer became a signature move that fans around the world admired. This move showed not only his amazing talent but also his hard work and creativity on the court. Harden’s smart plays and unique style made him a player that everyone had to watch.

However, not everything has been easy for Harden. Some people didn’t like his style of play and criticized him for it, but he never let the negativity bring him down. Instead, he stayed strong, focused, and kept improving himself. The road to winning a championship has been full of challenges, including failures and tough moments, but Harden never gave up. He worked harder, pushed his limits, and continued to fight for his dreams.

Harden’s journey inspires me a lot. He shows that to achieve your dreams, you need not only talent but also determination, patience, and hard work. Even when things seem hard or when others doubt us, we must keep going and believe in ourselves. Harden’s story teaches me to never stop trying and to always aim for greatness, no matter how hard the journey may be.

I want to apply Harden’s mindset to my own life. No

matter how hard things get, I will not give up on my dreams. Like Harden, I will keep improving, pushing my limits, and believing in myself. His story teaches me to stay determined, work hard, and always aim high.

Joseph is a basketball fan who loves watching NBA games and playing basketball with friends. His favorite player is James Harden, who inspires him with skill and determination.

Seeing Myself in Her

Andrea N.

I remember one day listening to random songs that had come up on Spotify. I came across the song “Quiero Sentirme Bien,” by Kali Uchis. In English this translates to “I want to feel good.” When it first came up I just listened, not paying attention to lyrics, just the rhythm. But when the same song came up again days later, I went back to look at the lyrics to analyze and realize their meaning.

At the song’s beginning, she says, “Feeling like we’re healing. Are we healing right?” It reminded me of moments when I would cover up what’s happening to me. I’m aware that it’s not a healthy habit, so it reminded me to heal before I move on. “Aunque no ha llegado a donde yo quiero I won’t ever go back where I used to be,” meaning even though we might not have gotten to where we have hoped to be, we must never go back to where we started. Sometimes it’s easy for me to go back to old habits. This song reminded me that I should take steps forward and create good habits. It felt like in those moments Kali Uchis had stepped into my shoes. Like if she knew what I was going through, as if once she was also in the same place as me.

I heard more of her music after listening to that song and began connecting to the lyrics. I immediately followed her on Spotify and then on Instagram. I researched her on Google, found out where she came from, how old she is, etc. Karly Marina Loaiza, better known as Kali Uchis, is an American singer and songwriter. She was born on

July 17, 1994, making her 31 years old. She was born in Alexandria, Virginia but her father is from Colombia, and gave her the most beautiful Colombian accent.

She’s the type of woman with a growth mindset you could sense from miles away. Even if you didn’t know Kali Uchis personally, you can tell she is a person who prioritizes her well-being both physically and mentally. Seeing this side of her made me start taking care of my mental health. Of course, one doesn’t wake up until all their mental health problems vanish. It takes time and growth. Sometimes we go back to our old habits, but those mistakes should never define us as a person. Each day I listen to her songs I feel more inspired to be a better person for myself and others. It can always be easy to escape reality, but she reminds me to come back and live my life to live it to the fullest and not let anyone control the way I do.

She’s very open about how everyone should love their own body. For me that has been hard to accept even as a child. But for some reason, I can just turn on one of her songs and I am unstoppable. You can tell when I am listening to her music just by the way my face brightens up. She also talks about how we are all humans, we all make mistakes, and how we only live once.

Kali Uchis not only has inspired me but also inspired so many people my age to make sure we do things that make us happy and to not care what the rest think. I connect to Kali Uchis, she is someone who I look up to and will continue looking up to. She is someone who I wish to be like one day. Maybe because I see my future self and present self in her.

Andrea N. is in 10th grade and doesn’t know many details about her future or even what she wants to be. But she is okay with that, she just wants to live in the present with her dog Toby. If she ever feels down you wouldn’t even tell because she’ll make sure you’re having a good time. She likes giving people advice and bringing their moods up with her personality.

Ways of the Water

Arius

Mental health is an ocean with vigorous waves that drown many people. Some people can bring their head above water after some time, while others fall victim to the harsh ways of the waves. I have come close to falling victim many times but have been able to bring my head above the water. Now, as I am gaining the air back in my lungs, I try to pull others above the water as well.

The anchor of my mind has pulled me down so far that I have not always seen the sun. I have experienced more in 15 years than others have in a lifetime, and I still struggle against the waves. I met many people who have shown a helping hand, only to push me further under the water. I had tried many times to pull myself up, only to fall back against the crashing waves. There have been people who wanted to lend a hand, but I have been too far down to be helped. I could not hear any sounds that tried to break through the storm passing over me. I was deep in this ocean for so long that I became a shell, just like any other you’d find in the sand—a shell of who I used to be, with nothing inside of it. I was so ashamed of what I had become, what I saw of myself, that I pushed everyone away. I couldn’t let them see me like this.

Drowning is known to be one of the most painful ways to die. When you’re drowning in a sea of harmful thoughts, that pain intensifies. It can cause you to feel so alone despite constantly being surrounded by others. When

you’re so close to giving in to the water filling your lungs, it becomes almost impossible to think of anything else. The thought of giving in swarms through your mind. Some people choose to silence the thought by letting themselves drown, while others can find solace in other things. For a long time, I could only find solace in carving my thoughts onto my skin. The water burned and flowed through my veins, but that pain distracted me from the storm in my head.

After years of this constant cycle, I found solace in the people who had tried to pull me up before I fell. Those people went out of their way to reach the bottom of the ocean so they could pull me above water for me to breathe. I can see the sun shining and hear the sound of seagulls passing by once again. There are times when I fall back under the water, but that’s normal. I’ve come to embrace the ocean and love myself and others despite it.

In telling you this I hope to bring light to this harsh ocean. If you are drowning, know you will see that light again with time. If you know someone who is drowning, please be the hand that pulls them up before the water consumes them. Check up on the people around you. You never know how close they can be to drowning.

Arius is someone who loves to write. She finds it as a calming way to get her thoughts out and express her creativity. She loves poetry the most; both writing and reading it. She is someone who loves to learn about different ways of perceiving the world through books. Her free time is spent mostly reading and finding new recommendations.

Don’t stop trying until you reach your goal. This is what my first MMA fight taught me.

On November 12, 2022, my father and I went to a family friend’s house that evening. All I knew was that we were supposed to watch a fight that day. When we got there, the main event just started, and I sat down to watch it. The more I watched, the more interested I got into it. They were doing jiu-jitsu, mixed with wrestling, mixed with boxing, and it was happening all at the same moment. A guy stumbled from a boxing move, then his opponent wrestled to take him down. Once he was down, the opponent took control of his back, limiting his movements, and used a jiu-jitsu arm bar to finish him off. It was crazy. Anything can happen within a couple of seconds.

The last fight of the night was the championship title fight between Israel Adesanya “The Last Stylebender” and Alex “Poatan” Pereira. This was the best fight of the night and the fight that made me like the sport in the way I like it now.

Israel Adesanya was a kickboxer who transitioned to MMA; he was someone who’d win with little to no effort. People consider him one of the MMA best middleweights.

I started to root for Alex in the middle of the fight because he was the underdog the whole time. I’ve

always liked people who were looked down on but were able to rise up to win in the end. Alex was already down three rounds and wouldn’t be able to win if it went the long way to a decision. Heading into the fifth and final round, his coaches told him that he needed to get a knockout (KO) to win because there wouldn’t be any other way to win. He pushed through everything from the earlier rounds and started trying his best,kept on pushing forward, and won by KO in the last round with three minutes left on the clock.

The whole arena got extremely loud and everyone was yelling after what had just happened to the champ. Alex later on got a rematch against Israel Adesanya and won by KO in the second round—that’s when Alex was able to move up to 205 light heavyweight class where he fought against Jan Blachowiz and won by split decision.

After that fight, he got the chance to fight for the vacant title against Jiri Prochazka and won that fight by KO in the second round. Alex has now become a second division champion which only a select few have done before. Alex’s reputation started to rise like crazy because people loved his style and how he was making almost every fight look easy. He then got three title defenses in the span of a year and all of them were knockouts.

Alex Pereira is an amazing fighter and is one of the few people I look up to. He just does everything in style which I like a lot and I would love to be someone like him one day. When I used to train MMA I had some doubts about myself and started to think I should stop training, but after seeing Alex Pereira fight, he inspired me to continue on and try even harder to get better at the sport.

A.E.M was born in Los Angeles, California. He’s currently a sophomore in high school and likes to spend his free time with friends. He also likes to watch/read different anime and manga out there. He is a very kind hearted person and would do anything for his friends and family.

Adventures through Time

Christabelle

When I was younger, my brother was my first best friend. We did everything together, from waking up in the morning and walking to school to play and laughing together before bedtime at night. Since we were kids, we’ve loved all kinds of films and TV shows. We would spend hours watching cartoons, filming our action figures, and drawing storyboards for television. As we’ve grown older, our passion for this kind of media has only deepened.

Although we sometimes focus on different types of shows now, our love and appreciation for cartoons has remained unchanged. I’ll never forget waking up early in the summer mornings to see what was on TV and scrolling endlessly through Hulu after we discovered streaming. The day that stands out the most is when we first turned on Adventure Time. At first, we were just bored and searching for something to pass the time, but after finishing the first episode, we were completely hooked.

Adventure Time significantly impacted how my brother and I grew up, and in a funny way. When the show first premiered in 2010, I was only a year old, so I obviously wasn’t able to watch or understand it at the time. However, my dad was a fan from day one. As my brother and I got older, we discovered the show on our own and began watching it.

Have you ever started a series and just known it was going to change things? I personally believe Adventure Time succeeded because it isn’t just a children’s show. The series demonstrated that, while its intended audience was young children, its deeper themes and nuances resonated with older fans as well.

Throughout the series, the characters continually change and evolve into better versions of themselves. Each character has a specific backstory that explores incredibly relatable themes such as war, relationships, personal change and growth, grief, and acceptance, all presented with bright colors and fun animations. One of my favorite characters in the series, Ice King’s backstory tells a tale of madness, loneliness, love and self-sacrifice. Although the show may appear to be just a whimsical adventure where the main characters fight trouble and save the day, much of the time, the characters are battling more with themselves than with others.

When I was younger, I didn’t fully grasp the meaning of certain episodes or even entire story arcs, but I always sensed that there was something deeper going on. Now that I’m older and still find time to rewatch the seasons, I realize just how much I missed as a kid and how much I absorbed without even realizing it. I couldn’t comprehend how the characters or situations reflected real-world scenarios that I would eventually encounter. Additionally, I didn’t appreciate how important it was for Adventure Time to be such an inclusive show. Its representation of characters of all ages, shapes, colors, species, sizes, and even sexual orientations helped me understand from a young age that everyone is different and everyone matters. People from all backgrounds

could connect with the show and allow themselves to feel vulnerable and understood in a familiar, childlike setting.

When my brother and I first discovered the show, there was always a sense of acceptance. Amid the chaos of the cartoon, we could see pieces of ourselves reflected back. The show was special because we already knew it. We experienced chaos, confusion, and fun everyday and needed to see it portrayed in a way that wasn’t just our own lives. It’s hard to articulate, but as you grow older, you sometimes realize that the things you need most appear in unexpected ways—like guidance through fairy tales or comfort in mornings spent watching cartoons with your little brother.

Christabelle was born and raised in Los Angeles, California with her two parents, her grandmother, and her younger brother. Since she was very young, Christabelle has had a passion for writing, acting, and singing. When she’s not writing or singing, she’s probably at home watching movies or hanging out with her friends.

Peace in Myself

One of the lessons I learned in letting go is the benefit of getting closer to family. Baking was a part of it. It’s also been the thing that’s helped me let go. My family showed me that they are always there for me no matter what is going on in my life and I am forever grateful to them. I learned to grow and get closer with them. When I am with them, everything feels right. I know they can’t always be with me, which is a part of life, but thinking about it makes me sad. When you’re by yourself and caught up in your feelings, you feel sad about what you lost. That’s where baking comes along. I love baking. Baking showed me to control my emotions and show me that everything is okay. It makes me feel calm and relaxed—everything going on fades away. It brings me peace and reminds me of happy memories;while baking with my mom during Christmas when I was younger I remember seeing her smile when I grabbed the wrong Genesis

Starting new things can be hard, but letting go of something you used to have, whether it’s a family pet or a friend, is harder. When you’re used to having someone or something and it disappears from your life, it’s hard to adjust. But, when you lose something, you learn new things and lessons along the way. You might not understand why people go, but time will show you why they left and you will slowly understand why. It hurts leaving old friendships, but at the same time you earn new ones. I feel like you can learn so many new lessons.

ingredients instead of getting frustrated with me. I love how patient she is with me. Once we finished baking, I loved seeing my family enjoy being all together and just enjoying our baking. My mom used to bake with my grandma, and now I bake with my mom. We’re always baking for big events, so it’s something we always do for fun. It brings me happiness and makes me realize sometimes you have your happiness right in front of you. But you also learn you can’t have everything you want or wish in life, but these lessons make you stronger in life.

Christabelle was born and raised in Los Angeles, California with her two parents, her grandmother, and her younger brother. Since she was very young, Christabelle has had a passion for writing, acting, and singing. When she’s not writing or singing, she’s probably at home watching movies or hanging out with her friends.

The Journey to Confidence

Luca D.

Three years ago I watched The Mandalorian with my dad. It was the season one finale. Moff Gideon and his imperial troops surrounded the tavern where the Mandalorian was at. As he was lying there injured on screen, my dad told me that the actor who played the Mandalorian was Chilean. That actor’s name was Pedro Pascal.

Born 1975 in Santiago, Chile, Pedro Pascal is a ChileanAmerican actor who is known for many TV and movie roles: Game of Thrones, Kingsman: The Golden Circle, Fantastic Four: First Steps, Narcos, The Last of Us, and of course, The Mandalorian.

Pascal is the first Chileno who has made a major impact on the industry, playing characters which are now iconic. He’s made an impact on pop-culture, representing both the Hispanic and Chilean community.

My dad is from Chile, and he lived under Pinochet’s dictatorship for most of his life. When my dad first saw Pascal on Narcos, he was happy. “There was someone out there putting up the name of Chile and is proud of waving the Chilean flag around the world,” he told me.

My dad works in the film industry as a cameraman, but being a cameraman isn’t as easy as you may think. Unlike auditioning for a role, it’s about who you know and not what you know most of the time. When you’re trying to apply for a “said production” or “said

commercial” you have to have friends or colleagues to help find a “spot in it” as my dad puts it. And like Pascal, he took part in small roles, and worked in restaurants, sometimes theater. He also had to rely on friends to help him to keep himself from not starving, but never did he quit.

I see Pedro as a role model because of how well Pedro Pascal adapts to the roles he takes on. He can act like he’s the outlaw of the town—a dangerous, yet mysterious man who later shows a more caring, loving, yet heart-broken man from some event in the past. He can show some weirdness and quirkiness that fits into the character he’s playing, while not embarrassing himself while doing it.

To me, I find that all relatable. Like me and my dad, we both like to goof off and be funny by impersonating characters on TV. I also like to tell funny stories and just laugh at the most random times with my friends. Sometimes it annoys people, but it also makes people laugh. As I’m writing this, I feel more confident to try new things and to express myself more. I used to be very introverted when I was very little. I wouldn’t try new things, and I’d always stay quiet about my talents. But now, I treat everyday like it’s new. I like to keep on taking new steps every day, because like acting, it helps build your character.

Overall, I say never give up on what you desire the most, keep on going, and always have your closest friends or family to help you along the journey. Especially role models. Like Pedro, the point of acting is not always about acting serious, or always straight with things. It’s

about having fun, being outside the box, and always having fun at being yourself. Even when the film is rolling.

Luca D. loves to play sports like rugby and waterpolo, has a fascination with history, and a love for pop-culture. He also likes to sing/perform at the Morgan-Wixson theater. And deeply loves his passion for the arts, broadway, cinema, photography, and video games.

Lil O.

Rafael Y.

Amari Deshawn Adham Middleton, better known as Osamason or Lil O, began his music career in 2020 under the name PradaUMari. His breakout single, Cts-V, released on April 7, 2023, quickly gained traction online. His music found further popularity through internet personalities like Twitch streamer BruceDropEmOff, who played Osamason’s songs on his live streams, boosting his recognition.

Osamason stands out as one of the few rappers who can seamlessly flow over the type of beats he chooses. In songs like “Trenches” and “All Star,” the beats are intense and unconventional.

While some listeners may struggle to understand his lyrics or the way he delivers them, I personally connect with his style. My ears have been trained to pick up on the nuances of underground rap, making it easier for me to appreciate his music.

I was introduced to Osamason in 2023 by a friend, and I was immediately mesmerized. His sound was unlike anything I had heard before. The beats, the lyrics— everything felt fresh and different. Over time, I believe others will grow to appreciate his unique style as well. Osamason is undoubtedly one of the top three artists in the underground scene right now, with a flow that sets him apart. In his song “Kills,” he raps:

“Girl, you know I’m not okay (yeah)

Girl, you know I’m not okay (yeah)

Hit my phone, you like, ‘I hate you’

I’m like, ‘What I did today?’ (Oh yuh)”

Here, he expresses emotional struggle and confusion in a relationship. When he repeatedly states, “Girl, you know I’m not okay,” he’s laying bare his mental state—he’s not okay, and he wants that to be known. His lyrics reflect themes of pain, detachment, and emotional turmoil, which resonate with many listeners who have faced similar struggles.

While Osamason isn’t a super mainstream superstar, his music carries a raw and real energy that is hard to ignore. He frequently raps about mental health struggles, personal demons, and street life, offering a voice to those who may feel alone in their experiences. They way how he blends his voice in with the beat is different I can personally relate to this because I’ve faced my own battles with mental health, and music has been a large part of my healing process. His lyrics convey ambition, pain, and resilience, making his music more than just entertainment—it’s a lifeline for those going through tough times.

The Mistake

S.M.R. I took it hard when my boyfriend and I broke up. I pushed away the one person who I had so much fun with. I felt hurt and ashamed like never before. But everyone goes through this at least once in their wild life… right? I felt like a bad person, I felt like that for the longest time. It hurt to let go… let go of that person I thought would talk to me everyday of my life.

Weeks after the breakup, my mom talked to me and said, “We sometimes have to leave people in the past to be able to open up to new and greater people even if you love them so dearly... It’s for the better and you will find out soon or later.” I’m not very close to my mom, but hearing my mom say this to me at the worst time in my life made me feel so close to her. I felt like she was there for me in my hardest time, and when I needed her the most.

I’m still learning what’s right or wrong and trying to be a better person to this day. We all make big mistakes in our life but those mistakes are things we can learn from. Accepting and confronting my mistakes has been better for my future and my mental health.

P laces

Nothing Like Home

Erick

There’s nothing like home. When arriving at your rancho with your window down and everyone waving at you. When getting out of the car and running to hug your grandparents and tías and telling them how much you miss them. When all your local friends speed down the hill with their motorcycle happy to see you.

There nothing like home. When it starts to get dark and everyone meets at the plaza to catch the taco stand and play volleyball. Doña Rebecca has the best tacos in the whole Rancho so she runs out quick.

There’s nothing like home when everyone goes swimming at the local river that’s behind the family house on hot days, while you help grandma make a guacamole for the carne asada.

There’s nothing like home when doing weekly mandados to the pueblo and having to be at the cove stop at 7:00 AM.

There’s nothing like home when your grandpa tells you to go buy him some beer from the local tiendita cause age doesn’t matter here.

There’s nothing like home when you can’t walk barefoot because an Alacran might get you.

There’s nothing like home when your mom makes you

give your clothes to your younger cousin and tells you she will buy you more back in the U.S. but doesn’t.

There’s nothing like home when you haven’t showered with hot water in days.

There’s nothing like home when it’s your last day and you fill half your bag with chips and snacks to bring back.

Erick is a sophomore at Venice. He’s Mexican. He likes to talk and make friends. He’s a social person, likes music and art and his favorite color is blue.

Bellum Ultimu

Wyatt

To whoever finds this,

We failed. Spectacularly. The future was almost saved, but we failed. Everything is mostly gone now, except this war of course, just in case you hadn’t noticed. This war isn’t ending anytime soon. Back in the early 2030s, a small group of people tried destroying the work of a huge corporation, something to do with a hyperintelligent AI meaning to control the military. A small drop in a huge soup of violence. That is all ancient history now. It’s been so long no one even knows what year it is anymore, people just say “20XX” whenever needed.

Before the war started, the world was packed to the point of bursting, not enough space to just be. A giant megalopolis spanned most of the United States with no room for anything except vast apartment complexes. There are a lot of unknowns about our situation: what year it is, why the war started, and why it still rages on.

It is speculated that in the late 2040s world governments were at odds with each other over the usual suspects: territory, resources, and civil unrest—you get the idea. It eventually came to a head and an all-out slaughter occurred. Nukes, chemicals, biological monstrosities, no stops were left unpulled. But somehow it kept coming, the AIs that pulled the triggers were smart enough to prevent total annihilation. Within the first few hours, all major strategic locations on both sides were wiped off the

map, world leaders gone, and no more central command.

Now most of the remaining forces on both sides of the war are given orders by localized tactical supercomputers with little to no intercoordination. As a result of this, there are many conflicting actions the isolated computers make. One unit in a military might go to a specific point controlled by opposing forces and take it over. Then another unit from the same military might receive orders to do the same, so they go to the same point and find that it has already been taken by their allies. In short, a massive waste of time and resources. Knowing this, some sections of both militaries have gone rogue, disregarding orders and refusing to fight. Instead these soldiers set out to try to find meaning, or turn on their AI overlords, finding and destroying them. Every AI dismantled thing brings an end to this war closer. Afterall, with no one to give orders in a sector the conflict there grinds to a halt, which is much easier said than done, though. The exact locations of most of the computers still remain unknown.

The two rivals have vastly different doctrines. Remnants of the technologically superior astern conglomerates in Asia and some of Africa fight the United American Continents or UAC on their own soil. Asia uses their advanced knowledge of biotech to assemble hordes of post-human drones, people turned into hybrid machines with all actions inhibited except their orders to kill. Meanwhile, the UAC resorts to much more primitive tech, equipping their soldiers with weapons used as far back as the second world war. Still, the Americans put up a fierce opposition, keeping pace with Asia and Africa’s war effort. Progress on both sides of the war is slow, that isn’t saying very much.

It is difficult to traverse the terrain of the constantly changing frontlines, previously known as the “West Coast.” Giant battles occurring during the day fight with massive machines quickly eroding the corpse of the city it takes place on top of. And at night, printer drones are sent to rebuild the city, creating a new layer of buildings to be destroyed the next day. A wanderer passing through one day could come back the next to find it completely unrecognizable, but such is the way of things, and this is how it’s been for decades. This is the war to end all wars, but only because it will never end.

Now you may be thinking, “Why write this down? Shouldn’t we try to end this war?” It is necessary to keep records of these things because of all this destruction. It will mean nothing if we don’t learn from our mistakes in time to save our future generations from our greed and stupidity. What would the point of ending the war be if the world after is not worth living in? Wouldn’t it just be better to let life fizzle out? Remember the past. Remember how this didn’t have to happen. Remember how greed can and will end the world if we let it. Get yourselves in check, and for God’s sake—do better next time.

This has been an account from the last war historian circa X/X/20XX.

Wyatt, the author of this story, has always loved both sci-fi and post-apocalyptic worlds. He loves video games like Fallout and movies like Mad Max or Star Wars. He writes about various things that he finds interesting.

House of Memories

Sunnie

From the moment I could hold a memory, the first and most memorable memory would be of my great grandparents’ house; a small house still standing next to newly built apartments, with big palm trees and hibiscus flowers in the front yard where I grew up. Not only did I grow up there but so did my mother and grandmother. This house held a special place not only in my heart but in most of my family’s.

For years, my great grandparents’ house had been a joyous memory for everyone, and it’d been a safe space for all of us. I was lucky enough to have spent the early years of my life with my great grandparents, and even though they are gone, this house still holds memories of them. Growing up the house was always full of voices and laughter. Most of my memories there were with my sister and cousin who was also like a sister to me. While we were still able to spend time with our grandparents, we played in the backyard all the time, riding our bikes and playing basketball with the basketball hoop our grandpa bought, as they sat down at the little table on the side watching us. During holidays or birthdays, my aunts, uncles, and family friends would come together for a night of fun in the backyard. I moved away from this house four years ago, but I still visit my grandma frequently, and when I do, memories of my childhood and great grandparents flood my mind.

Growing up in my great grandparents’ house showed me how much of an important role our families play in shaping us into who we are today. They taught me to cherish even the little moments together because they will not always last forever. Even through the worst of times my family and this house has never failed to make me feel safe and loved. I wouldn’t wish for any other way of growing up. Even now I try my best to make sure my little cousins experience the same love and happiness in this house as I experienced.

Sunnie is a high school student. She loves spending time with her friends and family. Sunnie spends most of her time working hard in school and enjoys drawing in her free time.

The Two Halves of Me

Diego

G. Some things have a space in your heart, whether it is a core memory, or a person that significantly influenced your life. But for me this space in my heart is for Guadalajara, Mexico. Guadalajara is my home, the place where I was born, and I have many memories of it. The other space in my heart is for my family. They are the other half of my heart and the people that explain to me how life is or how to live life. I remember when I crashed my dad’s car and I was worried because I didn’t have money to repair the damages, but my dad said, “No te preocupes son fierros” (don’t worry they are fierros), meaning that fierros (irons) are not important or that they are less important than life.

The Beginning

When I was kid, my dad taught me to live life for myself. He explained to me how to take the bus, how to drive, and he also showed me the flea markets, which are markets in the street that are sometimes very “dangerous.” However, my mom was very disappointed with this teaching. She said that streets are so dangerous and that I am too young to be outside. When I was kid, I always wanted to be outside with my friends, and she felt very anxious and worried for me. I never understood my dad’s teaching, or why my mom fought with my dad, I only wanted to spend time with my dad. But all of this made sense in the future when my adolescence began.

Guadalajara

When I started my adolescence, I started high school. But when all of this was happening, my mom decided to migrate to the United States. I was too young when I needed to make the choice: my mom or my dad. My first thought was, stay with my dad because he gave me the freedom that my mom never gave me. My dad agreed with my decision but my mom stated, “You are my son and I want the best for you. I am your mom and I want you to stay with me.” My mom stayed strong to her words but I made a deal, “Give one year more and I will migrate to the U.S.,” she thought it over and finally, she agreed. A few months after, my mother left Mexico with my sister.

Two Years

A year passed since my mother and sister left Mexico and I forgot the promise and lost contact with my mother because of the time difference. It seemed like I had created a new life without my mom and sister. All day my dad worked, so he never stayed at home, but that didn’t matter because I also never stayed home. After school, I never returned home, sometimes for one or three days or a whole week, and my dad never disagreed with my actions. I was everywhere except my home, so Guadalajara started to become my home. In my time out, a new feeling emerged that I hadn’t realized: walking around the parks of the city, I began to discover a passion for biology. It seemed like a dream. I had gotten a girlfriend, after school I spent all the time I wanted with my friends, and my dad helped me with all my questions and stuff. I felt the freedom of life.

Color de Rosas

I was preparing for college, and my dad helped me enroll. However, life is never full of happiness, the shades of my past returned to my life and instead of preparing for college I was now preparing to change countries entirely. I thought, “I love my mother but does that mean that I love this imprisonment?” Two years passed since I had made the promise to her and I forgot.

In the airport my dad told me, “You still have a home here, don’t forget.” I left my dad, my life, and all my dreams. When I arrived in the U.S., my mother was waiting. She cried when she saw me and I was happy to see my mom, but I felt a deep hole in my heart that seemed like I lost two halves of me.

Diego G., was born in Guadalajara, Mexico. He is the youngest and his sister the oldest. When he was a kid his dream was to be like his father because he taught him about life. He loves his family because he grew up with them.

No Bananas on the Boat

Kaya

I hated fishing. The smell, the blood, the guts, the waiting… but I was still drawn towards wanting to go every time. Every summer my mom would take me and my siblings to the East Coast to visit her brother and that side of my family. We’d stay on my uncle’s boat, Sea Fever, which was his dad’s before it was his. Even though I didn’t and still don’t care about the actual fishing, I love the smell of the ocean, the wind in my face when we drive fast, and eating WaWa pretzels on the boat. I always felt bad for the bait because I was a heavy believer in fish having feelings too, but I’d forget about that as soon as it was time to eat those fish.

I enjoyed the excitement of reeling the fish in, but not the waiting. When I complained about it taking too long for the fish to bite, my dad would tell me, “it’s called fishing, not catching.” When I got bored enough I’d go down in the cabin and sleep. My mom has always said that she gets the best sleep when the boat rocks backwards and forwards with the tide. I’m definitely her daughter because it puts me straight to sleep. My parents always tell me how easy-going I am, and I believe being stuck on boats for hours made me that way. It taught me that even if I don’t like something, I can still enjoy the moment. When I think back on those memories, it makes me remember how my parents gave me the same childhood experiences that they had.

My affinity for the ocean and boats didn’t come from the actual fishing, it came from the moments in between. It came from walking up and down the dock with my brother looking for crabs, kissing the first catch, playing with the Minnows, sitting in the captain’s chair, poking the sea anemones, and all the other seemingly random things.

Kaya was born and raised in Los Angeles. Both of her parents are from the East Coast and moved to Los Angeles before she was born. She loves the beach, her friends, and driving around.

McMemories

S.C.M.

There are a lot of places that have some sort of significance to me. One of those places happens to be one of my favorite fast food places to eat at: McDonald’s. I remember being a little kid, always excited knowing that I’ll get a new toy each time I got a Happy Meal. I would always go with my family, not just my parents and sister but other family and friends too. I remember creating a lot of core memories there even if it was the smallest of things like getting a new toy. It wasn’t just toys either, I really loved eating McDonald’s in general, even now. The patties had a good taste to them combined with their soft buns and their really salted fries which may not be the healthiest but they sure tasted amazing. Not to mention the nuggets too tasted so good it was like biting into a crunchy cloud of chicken. This may sound like your average fast food experience, but this place just hit different.

The McDonald’s play place was also part of why. I would make friends each time I went there. Back then, the play place seemed endless to me, and as a little boy it was the most perfect place to do all kinds of fun things. The best part was that each one had its own different design so it would always be different at other locations. Some were not as big as the others but they would have different stuff like maybe a pogo stick type of machine, slides, tunnels, and other cool stuff that I don’t really know how to explain because they were all really unique. For example, there

was this hanging rope thing with little plates at the bottom where you could stand on and you could just spin around or just swing yourself, it was really fun. I made so many fun memories there whether I made friends or I was simply just having tons of fun with family.

I remember this one time I saw a kid crying because he was lost and he was trying to get back to his parents. I honestly don’t blame the kid for panicking because that specific play place was huge like a maze. It was probably not as big as I remember it being. I feel like if I would go to it now it wouldn’t even be close to how I imagined it being simply because I was smaller so things just seemed bigger. I’m pretty sure that McDonald’s and the others I went to were remodeled because most of them don’t even have a play place anymore. If it were still here, I would’ve definitely gone back to check it out. Nothing compares to what McDonald’s has in store. Yes, places like In-N-Out and other fast food places are good too but they don’t give the same comfortable feeling of going to McDonald’s after a bad day or a doctor’s appointment that you didn’t want to go to. Stopping at McDonald’s always made it worth it.

I will always remember the memories I made at McDonalds like it was yesterday, and I’m glad I do. I wouldn’t say the same thing about this one horrible experience I had, it hasn’t changed my love of McDonald’s though. I was like 6 or 7 years old, it was one of the worst experiences ever because not only did I get food poisoning but my sister did too and it didn’t go well for both of us that day. I’d rather not go into detail about what happened because it’s honestly really disgusting, but if you’ve ever gotten food poisoning you’d know what I’m talking about, except this food poisoning was way worse.

My sister ended up going to the emergency room. I ended up feeling better way faster than my sister, and at the time I was just scared for her because it affected her more than it did to me. After that incident me and my sister were prohibited from eating McDonalds and we didn’t for at least 2 years or so. I don’t really remember but it broke me because that was my favorite place to eat at. Eventually, I went back to it and I just remember having it for the first time after a while and it was just so good.

In the present day, I eat more than I ate back then as a kid, my order is also different. But even ordering something I would eat back then brings back these memories. I still go there very often to hangout with friends or I just stop by because I’m hungry and just want to eat at my favorite fast food place. I also get my McDonald’s delivered and I’ve been able to accumulate a total of 50,000+ McDonald’s points which is a crazy amount. After this, I haven’t paid for a single meal but let’s just say those points didn’t last very long. Those 50,000+ points will also be something I’ll look back on just like all my other past memories at McDonald’s.

All I’m trying to say is you should always live in the moment and experience things to create memories you can one day look back on. I’m always comfortable when walking into a McDonalds, because I know that it holds memories and a special place in my heart.

S.C.M. is a young high school student that’s determined to achieve all his goals and be the greatest he could be. He enjoys hobbies such as working out and weight lifting, he also likes music and learning new things.

My Adventures

R.L.

Oaxaca, Mexico is a place where peace is everywhere, where you can be yourself, everyone helps each other, and everyone is family. I was born in Oaxaca, and my childhood was there. I remember how happy I was when I lived there. Now, when I go to Oaxaca, I really feel like I’m at home. It’s a place where I can be free.

I’m from a little town where everyone knows each other. My pueblo’s name is San Lucas Quiavini. A core memory I have of being there is when I went hiking with my aunts, cousins, and my dog. At that time I was like ten or eleven years old. That day I was really happy because we went up the hills. My cousin was telling jokes but the jokes were really bad so we just laughed at him. When we were tired we told him to try to find ramas con figuras. He was so happy while he was looking for the ramas. We were catching our breath because the hill was so hard to hike. When we got to half of the hill the sky turned as if it was going to rain. We didn’t care and we kept walking but after 15 minutes it started to spark and we ran around the hill and we found a cave. We didn’t know that there was a cave but we stayed there until it stopped raining. Inside the cave there was a blackberry tree and some pictures. When we went back home, the road felt shorter because we found that the cave was near the centro (main town). While we were walking home we were talking about our adventure and I realized how much I love spending time with my family

RL loves to sleep, eat, and she would love to travel around the world one day. She’s so studious but also she’s so funny and she loves to spend time with her loved ones. and how much I love being at my favorite place which will always be my pueblo.

Finley Fresh Start

In middle school, my grades were horrible and I never felt like I could keep up. They made me feel so dumb just because I couldn’t keep up with the pace of my teachers or the speed at which my classmates were learning. I felt like a lesser being than everyone else because my teachers gave us huge amounts of homework that I couldn’t keep up with or focus on outside school. My teachers were literally telling me that I wouldn’t graduate unless I fixed my grades. At the end of eighth grade, I wasn’t allowed to participate in the majority of our graduation activities and I realized that I wanted to change. I had told myself before that I would do better every year but nothing came out of that. When I graduated, I had a 2.5 GPA compared to my friends with mid to high 3.0s.

I realized that when I came to high school at Venice, I had a new chance to do well and that no one would know about my academic background and judge me for it. I finally had the chance to start with a clean slate. I really wanted to challenge myself to do better because I felt that I needed to prove to myself that I was smart and capable of doing well, and that I could keep up with my peers. I worked so hard during the first semester to do well in my classes. I tried to focus more in class, ask for help when I needed it, and do all the homework that I couldn’t finish after school. With all my efforts I ended the semester with a 3.4 GPA, but that wasn’t

enough for me. I still felt like I needed to do better, I knew that I could do better. Second semester I did the same things to improve my work habits and get better grades and as it turns out it worked. I ended my second semester of ninth grade with a 3.5-ish GPA, but I was still disappointed that it hadn’t gone up by that much. I knew I had to recognize my improvement whether it was big or small.

Then came tenth grade which is where I’m at now. This time I am taking two honors classes. I got very lucky, having amazing teachers who are so kind and always willing to help or explain things if I need it. I told myself that I would get as close as I possibly could to straight A’s and I’ve been so close. I ended fall semester with a 3.8 GPA, and I was so extremely happy and proud of myself because I knew that I could do it, even with two honors classes. All I had to do was believe in myself and tell myself that I was smart enough and more than capable.

Finley is a smart, relaxed person with much love towards her friends. She loves going out for Crumbl Cookies and sharing with her peers.

Adriana Exit 12

I was born in Patterson, New Jersey but I grew up in a small town called Carteret that I left when I was 12 to come to Venice, California. I went to a Catholic private school for four years and one year of public school. During the years of living there, I learned a lot about the state itself, especially because schools teach us a lot about the state that we live in. I’ve always learned stuff about the places I’ve lived in like how Cape May is the oldest seaside resort in the United States or how Union, New Jersey has the tallest water tower in the world.

What stuck with me the most was that my hometown, no matter how small it was, was the place that taught me the most.

I learned about the crime and the things that were happening in my town. In 2019, a friend of mine, David Tillberg, passed away in the town’s park by being trapped under ice in the local pond. Or how Monte Stewert in 2017, when he was 16, was assaulted by a town’s police officer and was seriously injured. It made the whole town search for Monte’s justice which was crazy regarding how small of a town we were. My older brothers and sister joined the protests. They walked around the town, went to the Mayor’s house, and started the GoFundMe. I was only 10 at the time.

In Carteret, everybody in the same age range knew each other. My older sister and brothers knew my friend’s

older siblings. My friend’s parents knew my parents. We were all connected like a family in some way which I don’t think I can compare that to anything now. The whole town is about five miles with one being water. Whenever a tragedy like Monte’s happened, we would come together and show how proud we were to be from here.

There’s been many tragedies in this small town over the years that have affected everyone differently. Like for me, I believe they made me remember to not take anything for advantage. When a 29 year old woman was shot just this past summer, it taught me to be careful cause even a small unknown town can have a big tragedy. All this got me prepared for the big change that I was going to face moving to Los Angeles, a bigger city, with even more tragedies going on.

For the past three years, I remained in California which was a big change but I believe I adjusted pretty well. Carteret taught me that no matter where I live, I’ll always know who I am and where I come from. I like the area I live in. I like how I’m never bored like back in Carteret, where I was really only entertained with friends and family or if I left the town. I’m grateful I got to have such a diverse childhood with 12 years being in New Jersey and currently in Venice.

Adriana is a teenager from New Jersey, who takes pride in where she’s from. She lives in California and reflects on all the memories she left in New Jersey.

Maria Un Día a la Vez

I am a tour guide of Oaxaca, specifically a place called San Miguel Del Valle, which is where I grew up for almost half of my life, and till this day, I still go every year. I went to school in San Miguel for a couple of years until I moved to LA.

A core memory I have is when me and my cousins went out on a sunny, windy day. The day before it had rained and we all just felt sad and bored at home with nothing to do. We could hear birds chirping, people talking with one another, and music coming from people’s houses as we walked and talked. After 15 minutes of walking, one of my cousins had the idea of going to the Cabana, which is sort of like a park in San Miguel. To get there we needed to go up hills and it was not fun at all. We walked and walked and after just a couple of minutes we all got tired. I almost tripped and fell since the hills were kind of rocky, and my cousin Pedro started laughing at me. He said, “Mejor te hubieras caído” (You should have fallen), and I responded, “Mejor cállate, no?” (Maybe be quiet, no?).

We walked more and as we walked, we all kept stopping to catch our breath and laugh because we were struggling to get up the hill. After taking a few more steps, my cousin Mario passed by in his moto (motorcycle like car). He was going in the same direction as us, so he offered my cousins and me a ride. His moto

was similar to a car but had no doors. Since there were six of us going, only three of us were able to ride with him. My cousin Pedro and Norma were arguing about who was going to be the other person riding with me and my sister. Norma told Pedro, “Déjame ir que ya me cansé y mis pies me duelen” (Let me go cause I am tired and my feet hurt). Pedro responded and said, “¡No! Yo voy a ir, tú te puedes ir caminando” (No! I am going, you can go walking). After arguing on who was going to go with us, Pedro won and Norma went walking with my two other cousins Dalia and Lupe.

We all finally got to the Cabana and the first thing we did was go to the park and go on the swings. We started swinging and talking about exciting things that were coming up, like my quinceanera that was two weeks away. I told my cousins, “Cousins ayyy ya mero llega mis quince, estoy nerviosa” (Oh my god, my 15th is almost here, I’m feeling nervous).

“Porque si ya tienes todo listo para ese día y además ese día es tu día y tienes que disfrutar,” (But you already have everything for that day, and that will be your day, all you have to do is enjoy that day cause it’s all about you) said Norma.

“Ya se, ya se, pero es que no se, siento como que se me esta olvidando algo pues,” (I know, I know, but I don’t know I just feel like I am forgetting something).

“Yo nomas dijo que estas sobre pensando las cosas prima,” (I just say that you are overthinking things cousin) Dalia said.

“Pues quien sabe prima pero bueno y que… solamente me queda disfrutar de ese dia,” (But who knows cousin… but oh well I just have to enjoy that day) I said.

After 30 minutes of walking we decided to go to the mirador which is a place where you can get a view of the whole pueblo. Once we got there, we took out the snacks we brought: Dinamitas, Takis, Doritos, gomitas picantes, water, and Gatorade. We sat down and ate our snacks. Two hours passed by. We saw the sunset and took pictures together so we could have it as a memory. After taking about a hundred pictures, we decided that it was time to go back home. We all walked together until we had to go our separate ways.

Till this day, that day has been one of my favorite and a core memory I will never forget. Everytime I go back to San Miguel and I’m with the people I love, I just get a feeling of comfort and joy because I get to be in the place I get to call home, where I can be myself and no one will judge me.

Maria grew up in Oaxaca in a small pueblo. She loves sleeping and hanging out with her friends. She hopes to travel the world one day and maybe even officially move back to Oaxaca where she feels at home.

Be Proud of Your Roots

Samantha

Oaxaca is a place that many tourists have started to enjoy going to, but I always loved where I was from, and I knew it was special. When I was little, I remember being fascinated with my culture and where I was from. When I was nine or ten years old, I started to hear stories of how people would be ashamed for being from Oaxaca and would say they were from a different place. It gave me more of a reason to want to talk about my culture and all of the amazing things from Oaxaca. At a young age I fell in love with our food, places, traditions, and culture in general.

I was around four or five years old when I first visited Oaxaca, and I felt a comfort I never felt before. Specifically, I went to Santiago Matatlan, the town where my family is from. This town is known as the World’s Capital of Mezcal. Mezcal is an alcoholic drink made from an agave plant, and it’s also the beverage that all of Oaxaca is known for, not just a specific town. But what makes this special to me is that most of my family works making mezcal so I’ve been able to see the process. Even though there’s a specific way to make mezcal, it depends a lot on the specific agave plant or on the specific person making it. Another drink is Tejate, a cold refreshing drink typically served in a jícara. The drink is mostly based on maíz and cacao. The first time I drank it was in my town’s plaza, where they were selling fruit, vegetables, and food. This drink is special to Oaxaca because it’s made mostly during warm days for how refreshing it is.

A tradition basically every town in Oaxaca has is that on a specific date where they celebrate a saint. In Matatlan, we celebrate Santiago Apostol as our town is literally named after him. We honor him on July 24th by going to church in the morning. In the afternoon, we burn fireworks, dance around the whole town and with a bull shaped figure that has fireworks on it too, and baskets of fireworks on them. I love this tradition because you get to spend time with the whole town. It’s like you already know what to do, you don’t have to expect someone to explain what will happen that day. If you’re new, you observe first, and then learn what to do next.

I’m proud to be a Oaxacaqueña not just because of the culture but also because Oaxacans are mostly stereotyped to be short and dark skinned. In reality that is not true at all. There are all types of ways that Oaxacans can look. They may be light as well and tall, I myself am considered “tall” for a Oaxacaqueña. It was also something that people would be ashamed of saying. Oaxacans not showing pride on where they are from doesn’t help, and I’m proud because although we were once looked down on, now people want to go to Oaxaca and explore and have an experience from our traditions. The fact that it’s shameful for some is more of a reason to be proud.

People will never understand why you are proud of your background or of yourself so instead of being ashamed, you should show pride. Now a lot of people have started to visit Oaxaca and talk about how amazing it is. If something is important to you and makes you happy you shouldn’t let others decide if it’s a good or bad thing.

Samantha is someone who can be very shy but when around the right people she will talk and show how she truly is. She prioritizes school and her family before anything else. She wants to make her family proud and achieve her goals in life.

Life in the Big City

Harmonia S.

I call New York my home, my safe place.

There’s five boroughs in New York. Long Island is an expansive, densely populated island in southeastern New York, stretching east from New York City. Queens is another borough on Long Island across the East River from Manhattan. Brooklyn is a borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the state of New York. Manhattan is the most densely populated of New York City’s five boroughs. It’s mostly made up of Manhattan Island, and is bounded by the Hudson, East, and Harlem rivers.

I’m from the Bronx, which is a borough of New York City, aka “bx” for short. It’s known for Yankee Stadium, the home field of the New York Yankees baseball team.

Dating from 1899, the vast Bronx Zoo, only the best zoo in the city and you see houses hundreds of species of animals. Nearby, the sprawling New York Botanical Garden features a landmark greenhouse with rainforest and cactus displays.

My all-time favorite rapper, A Boogie Wit da Hoodie, is from the Bronx. People call him the King of the Bronx. His real name is Artist Julius Dubose, though he’s known professionally as A Boogie wit da Hoodie or simply A Boogie, and he is an American rapper and singersongwriter. He released his debut studio album, The Bigger Artist, via Atlantic Records in 2017. At the BET

Awards 2018, Dubose won Best New Artist. His fourth album, Me vs. Myself (2022), peaked at number six on the Billboard billboard 200 and received generally favorable reviews.

There’s also another inspiring rapper from New York City is Pop Smoke, the stage name of Bashar Barakah Jackson. He was a Brooklyn-born rapper, singer, and songwriter who rose to fame in 2019 with his singles “Dior” and “Welcome to the Party.” Though he never released an album, his mixtapes had commercial success. Some considered him the face of the Brooklyn drill. He was sadly shot and killed during a home invasion in the Hollywood Hills.

Curtis James Jackson III, known professionally as 50 Cent, is an American rapper, actor, and television producer. He was born in South Jamaica, a neighborhood of Queens, Jackson began pursuing a musical career in 1996.

The music of New York City is a diverse and important field in the world of music. It has long been a thriving home for popular genres such as jazz, rock, soul music, R&B, funk, and the urban blues, as well as classical and art music. Music just makes us New Yorkers feel different, that is how we connect with each other as a community.

Another way we New Yorkers connect to each other is style. When you’re dressing for winter in NYC, you’re focused on layering. You start with a base layer of thermal underwear, followed by a sweater or sweatshirt, and a warm outer coat like a puffer jacket or wool coat. You accessorize with a hat, gloves, and scarf, and choose shoes or boots with good traction to handle slippery

surfaces. Layering allows you to adjust to temperature fluctuations throughout the day. Choose stylish but comfortable shoes, like sneakers or casual boots, as you’ll be walking a lot.

Pura Vida

Maya R.M.G.

“Pura vida” translates to “full of life,” which is what our day in Costa Rica was like.

My grandma, mom, brother and I had followed my sisters’ school bus to go kayaking on the river. My dad was chaperoning early that morning too. We put on our life jackets, got our paddles, and were on our way. The guides, who were also professional kayakers, led us through trees on a muddy path where we’d found our plastic two-seater kayaks at the shore. It had rained heavily the night before so the water level was much higher and the currents faster than normal. Costa Rica has many rainforests, so the rain was nothing unexpected, and even good for all the wildlife. Darwyn, my ten-year-old brother, was scared from hearing this, but I tried not to let the thought of a super fast and out of control river get to me even though I was also a little worried.

After taking family pictures, we boarded onto the light brown and calm river. It was a nice, cruising speed, not too slow or too fast. I paired up with Darwyn, my dad paired up with his mom—who we call Nanis—my thirteen-year-old sister, Reyna, went with her friend, and my mom went with the teacher, Ms. Rios. One instructor went to the front just in case we went too far and another instructor stayed in the back, making sure we stayed caught up with everyone. At first, Darwyn and I had to get comfortable with the water, our oars, and our

boat. Darwyn sat in front of me. The river was very wide and the four instructors gave us a lot of space to go sideto-side, slow down, or speed up. There weren’t too many of us, about 10 kayaks.

The river was surrounded by trees, and I kept trying to look for different animals in this rainforest. I stared at branches for birds, monkeys, or sloths. I hoped to see something as majestic as the Scarlet Macaws we had seen the day before; they looked like rainbows dancing in the sky. Darwyn was fascinated by a frog pamphlet that he’d seen, and hoped to find some real ones today. I figured that we’d be able to see them better if we got closer to the sides of the river so we started paddling towards them. What we didn’t see was a fallen tree sticking out of the water that we were about to run into. So we aborted the plan and quickly paddled back to the middle of the river and chilled there. We were calmly drifting and taking turns paddling because if we tried doing it at the same time, we’d keep hitting each others’ paddles. We looked behind us and noticed that some people struggled to keep up or stay towards the middle of the river. Everytime we looked at my mom and Ms. Rios, they were always stuck on the shore and kept getting pulled by the instructors. Reyna and her friend passed by us with a defeated look on their faces since they were also getting pulled by another instructor.

After dodging many logs, we decided to take a calm break and just enjoy the cool air, the trees around us, and the overcast sky. We were off to the last two hours of our ride. At one point, my dad had his phone out, taking videos of the ambience and taking pictures of us. Not too long after, everyone heard a scream and turned to

look. It was Nanis that screamed because her paddle was flowing downstream while she and my dad were perched sideways, stuck on a big log. Two of the instructors quickly attended to them, and retrieved her paddle. When they were back to normal, Darwyn and I went beside them to ask them what happened and he said that stopping to take videos distracted her from seeing what was coming up. Nanis said, “Luckily, he didn’t drop his phone when they crashed and now we have a funny video.” Turns out, Nanis was never paddling.

The instructors hadn’t really modified kayaking to make sure their customers are super safe. For example, when we saw yellow wild snakes sleeping on a branch above us on our way to the beach. It was cool but we were at risk of their bite.

Eventually, the tour guide led us through the trees back to our bus. On the way, I tried to keep a lookout for frogs, but instead found a trail of marching red ants carrying leaves crossing our path. We also heard the monkeys again. They sounded big, loud, and close, but we still couldn’t find them.

We got out of the forest and rinsed our muddy feet under an outside shower. On the way back to the bus, we walked on grass and then came across a plant that had compound leaves, and each leaf was made up of leaflets all throughout the stem. It was a nice and healthy green with a red stem that I’d recognized from my trip to Guatemala (my dad and Nanis’ home country) in 2014. I vividly remember these plants because they did something I’ve never seen before. I touched the plant and the leaflets on each side of the red stem closed to

face each other. Like magic, they reacted to my touch! I looked it up later and found out that the plant was called Mimosa Pudica.

We kept walking off the side of the road onto the muddy ground until we were under trees and the tour guide said, “Okay everybody look up.” Everyone stared in awe as we saw a family of Howler Monkeys in the canopy above us. Immediately I grabbed my dad’s phone and was very eager to capture what we were seeing. The babies balanced on the branches to get back to their mothers, some rested face down as their hands and tails hung off the branches, and others ate and jumped from branch to branch. Then, the tour guide pointed to a TwoToed Sloth sleeping on a farther tree, one of Costa Rica’s most common sloths. It looked like a lump, hugging the tree, and I thought, “No wonder why we couldn’t find them.” They blended in well and didn’t really look like sloths. Right before we were about to leave for our tour bus, a beautiful Yellow-Throated Toucan landed right in the trees in front of us, displaying itself for us. A cell phone wasn’t that great of a picture-taker for this beautiful shot, so I saved it as a memory.

The tour guide noticed how engaged we were with these animals, and told us how he loved that he was able to show us these beautiful animals in their real habitats instead of in cages. Costa Ricans have a common saying: “Pura Vida.” They say this phrase to show gratitude or to say goodbye, and it represents how Costa Ricans have a relaxed attitude towards life, and I can see why after this trip. Why have something to worry about when you have so much natural life around you everyday?

When we landed back at LAX and took an Uber home, I noticed the comparison between my home and Costa Rica, and how I miss the country so much. Here, it’s nothing but pavement, and the animals are just domesticated pets, pigeons, seagulls, or crows. The plants aren’t as luscious green, and were placed by men to look a certain way, not natural. The LA River looks urbanized and half the time there’s no water in it, meanwhile Costa Rica’s river is very free and provides life. This was when I started to take interest in other peoples’ cultures or countries because I think it’s fascinating how everyone’s “normal” can be different.

Maya is someone who’s full of curiosity about the world. Her family likes to travel a lot which sparked her interest in learning about different cultures as well as one of her other biggest interest which is playing and watching soccer. The sport comes with lots of culture and going to games. She loves to see how passionate the world is about the beautiful game. She got to experience a culture that’s really different from her life in Los Angeles going to Costa Rica, and it fascinated her enough to write about it.

Jellyfish Spade

Jellyfish are fascinating creatures, floating through the water with their gelatinous bodies pulsating slowly, and gently. Without a nervous system or brain, they float aimlessly, unaware of their existence. I often feel that too, that I drift through life, deeply misunderstood, and I always retreat into that same bubble of disconnection. However, everything changes when I draw. But not my simple doodling… it’s the pieces where I perform an emotional dive, where I pour my heart onto the page. My art often reflects my inner distress, figures with empty expressions that resonate with my feelings of hollowness. While viewers often question why my work lacks color or vibrancy, they miss the deeper emotions embedded in each piece. If they looked closer, they’d see the subtlety in my work. A glimmer of tears, a background of time slipping away, symbolizing the burden of feeling powerless. My art is a silent plea for understanding, where fading hope is visually represented through dimming eyes, exhaustion, and concealed pain in their features.

I often reflect on a bittersweet thought: if I were a jellyfish, I wouldn’t have to endure the pain of existence. These thoughts linger, reflecting my desire to be something I’m not, as I know I’m not good enough.

Surrounded by the static and the hum, Spade folds words like delicate paper cranes, carefully tucking them into the quiet corners of disconnected minds. Their work speaks to those who drift away, hoping they will find their way back and finally experience the emotions they once lost.

The Music That Made Me

Hello, my name is Elijah and today we will be talking about my tour guide topic: country music. From Hank Willliams to Morgan Wallen there are many different sounds and messages in country music that don’t just tell stories but paint vivid pictures of love, loss, friendship, fishing, and an all around good time that other genres of music can barely scratch the surface of. Country music means so much to me for many reasons, and I’ll lay them all out here for you to see so you can get a deeper understanding of my point of view.

The way I came across country music was in my room on a hot summer day in Nashville. It was the Hot Chicken Festival and they had live music that I was paying no mind to as prior. I didn’t get country music, and on occasion, I’d even say that I hated it. But as I walked around this music, not just this music but this vibe, I felt the need to listen to the words with an open mind, and so I did. I listened to every word, and even though it was just some cover band, I was hooked, and from there I started exploring the world of country music on my own, learning more and more about its rich history and culture. From Charley Pride breaking into the scene and changing the world, being so big and popular in the South as an African-American man in a very ignorant time, to the mess of a relationship between George Jones and Tammy Wynette that was always under a watchful eye full of love and drama left unresolved.

The history is so complex and it is more than just music—it is a culture and a community. If you are looking into country music there are two things I would recommend. First, base your feelings on a time period. If you’re sad, listen to the older music as it carries more weight since people back then were raised in harder times, and if you’re happy, listen to newer music post 2000 as it has a more vibrant style for the most part. And second, when you find someone or something you like, look into their past or upbring as you may find a story you’re glad you didn’t miss as it is truly inspirational.

Elijah is a very amazing young man who is full of talents from inventing the flamingo to freestyling. There is nothing he can not do. He is from the streets of LA and was raised in Murfreesboro, TN, the best city in the world (where his Nana is). Every day he walks in with a bright smile hoping to engage with new people and learn something new about them or anything they can teach him.

High Off Adrenaline

Anthony T.

Hello, my name is Anthony. Over the years, my mental health began to falter and suffocate me. It didn’t get better until I started to be affiliated with heart racing activities. This is the story on how I became intrigued with climbing buildings.

I remember when I was eleven, watching YouTube videos on my iPad while lying on my bed. I was watching people play video games during a time when I didn’t have a console. I found a thumbnail that looked interesting to me, a guy jumping off a building to reach the next. When I watched videos featuring parkour I always thought how scary it was watching people do these risky activities and endangering their lives. However, the more videos I watched, the more I grew fond of it and thought it was cool. I started practicing the moves at home but my parents didn’t like how reckless I was when I kept jumping around the house and hurting myself.

When I was twelve my friend Jonah invited me to come and hang out in his neighborhood. We were skateboarding until he led me to this elementary school to chill. It was closed for the summer but that didn’t stop me from wanting to try and climb their roofs. When we went on one of the roofs I was worried about getting into trouble, but luckily we didn’t. We would frequent this building, and as our visits became routine, I began to lose my fear of heights.

The following year I was thirteen. I was bullied and avoided by others in 7th grade. My classmates would pick on me for fun and would tattle tell on me. I didn’t have any friends at my school since Jonah had to switch schools to learn guitar, and I didn’t stop him. I hated having to go there everyday just to be mistreated. When the summer came around, Jonah and I went to my middle school in an attempt to climb it and to our surprise not many people were there. We climbed where there was grip, whether it be a pipe or pieces of bricks that stuck out. When we finally reached the top of the building’s roof, I didn’t know what I was feeling. Was it fear or was it excitement? We were high up, so close to the edge of the roof. My hands were shivering, my heart was racing, but from all of that I definitely felt excited. Could this be what one might call adrenaline? Being so close to danger that it makes you numb?

When I was fourteen, everything felt numb to me. I suffered from depression and started to hate myself for being so… me—a strange weirdo who hid himself with a mask to avoid showing his face to others. This was at a time when Jonah and I were into skateboarding. I remember once he wanted to hang out over at this park with a ton of places to do tricks. It took a while for me to recover from the past but Jonah always managed to put a smile on my face whenever we hung out.

When I was skating with him I saw this tall gymnasium near a baseball field. I didn’t know why but my first thought was, “You have to climb that,” and so I did. Pipe to pipe, brick to brick, handlebar to the next, I was at the top both mentally and literally. I looked around and I saw the view of the entire park. I started to get that same

feeling from the school roof. My heart was pounding fast and my movements were jittery. No doubt about it, the same feeling that made me excited with joy was adrenaline coursing through my body. I didn’t care if I was a weirdo, I had the courage to climb heights.

Once I overcame my fears and insecurities I realized how much potential I had with myself, physically and mentally. I knew I could climb greater heights than others as I know how it feels to be at the edge of falling.

Anthony T. is a courageous boy who likes to climb buildings or anything parkour related. He trains almost everyday for certain extreme activities that catch his eye.

Memories Run through My Wires Then into My Dreams

Alex

Some of my earliest memories are of making my own art. I’ve always had a passion to make something different or that really draws attention. Over the years, my ways of making art have changed from simple doodles and drawings to painting patterns and landscapes. Now, I’m looking to create clothes and outfits that can be shown on a runway so I can eventually model them myself.

My interest in making clothes grew in 2023 when I saw all the amazing designs Beyoncé and her dancers wore in her Renaissance World Tour. The clothes really gave off a unique opulence that I just adored! For example, a custom-made Balenciaga couture gown. The bustier dress featured more than eight thousand embroidered crystal rhinestones and was paired with black jersey opera gloves. I want my work to stun the audience leaving them with the inability to remove their gaze from my piece just like I was stunned.

Sometimes I think to myself, “What if what I make doesn’t draw attention?” The thought of not knowing how to sew makes me second guess myself. But I have so many ideas about designs and how clothes could look. I’m lucky to have met so many people who want to help me make my dream a reality. I’ve even met a fashion designer who said they’re always looking for

younger designers because they really want to level up the world of fashion. These few words motivate me to keep pursuing my dreams, but getting fame for my work isn’t the only thing I want. I also want my work to protest whatever social injustice is going on and have my art show resistance. I want one of my collections to be about my story of liking fashion and bringing some of my first sketches to life. I’ve already thought of the names of my different collections. One of my collections will be called “My Way,” which will be focused on my support of the LGBTQ community. These outfits will display bright colors and bloom in the literal sense that they will burst with color and passion. I have always been interested in fighting for those who can’t and I want to do everything in my power to make it right, but I also want to do what I love in the process. I figured why not design outfits that symbolize the message I’m trying to get across.

When I bring my ideas to life I always face criticism, from being called names to having unwelcoming opinions of my work. People say and I quote, “You’re only doing this to get attention.” My response is always, “Yes. I am making clothes for attention because I have a vision very well planned in my head to set things right by doing what I love best and if you are commenting on my work then I know it’s working.” I couldn’t care less what anybody has to say about me or my work because I know that what I’m doing makes me happy, and I won’t let anybody take that away from me. I’ve planned what I want to do and I can influence others to do the same. A very simple but very powerful quote from Beyoncé can explain very well how she has motivated me and how I want to motivate others:

“To the young women, our future leaders, know that you’re about to make the world turn. I see you. You are everything the world needs. Make those power moves, be excellent. And to the young kings, lean into your vulnerability and redefine masculinity, lead with heart. There’s so many different ways to be brilliant. I believe you and every human being is born with a masterful gift. Don’t make the world make you feel that you have to look a certain way to be brilliant and no, you don’t have to speak a certain way to be brilliant. But you do have to spread your gift around the planet in a way that is authentically you. To all those who feel different, you’re a part of a group that’s called other, a group that does not get the chance to be center stage, you build your own stage.”

This quote is very special to me. This is what keeps me going. This is what compels me to pour my dedication and determination into my fashion career. Never in my life have I met someone who wants to make clothes and model the way I do, so yes I do believe I’m in a group called “other” and I’m at the point in my life where I’m building my stage so that one day I can perform and encourage others to do the same.

Alex has never stuck with one thing; he’s always looking for something new. He’s pretty much open to everything and is always welcoming new faces with open arms.

A Reflection of Our Eyes

Art is seen as a way into the minds of others—their souls, hearts, and beliefs. There are countless unique ways of expression that could either be connected to yourself or to a broader audience. I personally think that artists purposefully make their pieces either too simplified or extremely complex to get their viewer analyzing every inch of it. By art I mean your favorite song, movie, poem, or any form of expression. For me, it’s mostly visual arts. When I make art, whether it’s composing, illustrating, or painting, it always has a purpose driven by the dedication I put into the piece.

Some people might not understand it at first, or will never understand it. For me, I appreciate art the more I engage with it, whether I’m making it or enjoying it, either for being visually pleasing or something I can personally connect to. I’m mostly enjoying music and films right now, and also working on my realism drawing skills. I haven’t read enough books or really studied art pieces enough to appreciate them. That’s definitely something I hope to change.

In this day and age, I rarely get the chance to make art. I don’t have time at school or home. When I say make art, I actually mean spending days, weeks, and months creating something true to myself and not worrying about what others say—to not let my own fear limit my creativity. These are my experiences, my thoughts, my

feelings, and my memories. I get the say in how I want people to visualize my art.

Only recently have I gotten that chance to create. I’m attending an art program at Craft Contemporary, a museum. As I’m writing this, I’ve been making sculptures. I decided to do one referencing the movie I Saw The TV Glow. It’s honestly becoming a piece I’m so emotionally attached to. Everytime I see it, I get this feeling of pride. It’s about a character who opens himself up after being too scared to let his true self out. It’s something so common and so easily recognizable, while also being something that’s personal for me. People can look at it and think, “Oh, I Saw The TV Glow, cool.” But I also want people to ask, “Where have I seen this before?” or at least be curious enough to search up the movie and understand my piece.

I could go on and on about the pieces I’ve recently made and the ones I plan to make in the future. But there seems to be a pattern whenever I talk about how present art is in my life. There isn’t a single time when the financial instability of an art career isn’t mentioned. It honestly crushes a part of me each time. In those moments, the memory of Career Day at Craft Contemporary is suddenly what my mind decides to replay. That day we got to converse with the staff about their careers. Each of their journeys towards their current positions at the museum were all so inspiring I wanted to cry. There’s a reason why I’m reminded of it. This one girl, I can’t remember her name, who had graduated not too long ago, told me she lived with friends who don’t know what they want to do in life right now but that they were okay, and that they had each other. That’s the kind

of closure I’d been hoping for since considering pursuing a creative profession. It’s not easy, and these people have proven it to me. But it’s not impossible.

So for now, I’ll admire every piece of art I can in hopes that no matter how much time passes by, I can make one just as beautiful. E hopes to travel in the future, to capture every new scenery as a photograph, painting, illustration, and much more!

Sneakers

H.S.

By the time I’d gotten my first Jordans, I was only a baby being brought into the world, not knowing a clue what I had been given, but getting the attention left and right from so many people I didn’t even know. “I had you all dressed up the day you were leaving the hospital and the doctors came and picked you to show you around the whole hospital,” my mom shared with me.

As I got older, I remembered my mom telling me to always look decent and presentable anywhere I went, to show pride in how I looked.

By the time I was eleven or twelve, I had started to understand my own style, and I was starting to get into fashion more, mainly shoes, and Jordans in particular. I would go to the mall and window shop. If I saw something I liked, I’d go inside. I’d see the fit on the mannequin, look at the shoes, and check out the color combinations. I’d scroll through social media, see how people put fits on, and I’d get ideas. This all gave me more of an idea on how I wanted to dress and the appearance I wanted to have in what I wore. This is what made me be more into fashion. I knew when things looked good and when I could see it on myself.

My mom told me every time I got good grades, “I’ll take you to the mall to get a new pair of shoes.” Since then, I’ve been excited and motivated to do my work in school and get the new shoes that have just been released.

I go to school the next day and walk in the building with the shoes I just got, and classmates and friends compliment me, “Where did you get your shoes from? How much were your shoes? Were they expensive?” With excitement in my voice, I answer.

Having a pair of nice kicks on makes me feel as if I am floating on air. I am the center of attention, I have confidence in my walk, I have a certain feeling I could do anything to be my best self.

H.S. has a strong relationship with sneakers and how they’ve impacted their life. Reflection on something as simple as a pair of shoes can have an impact on their sense of self confidence. Sneakers can be a way to identify, a thing that shapes them, and a place of self discovery.

Starving for Change: How I Found Balance in Nutrition

Sophya

When I was 13, I was overweight. I constantly heard comments about my body and weight. It wasn’t just strangers, even family and friends would make remarks, and I carried those words with me. By 2020, during the pandemic, I decided I needed to make a change. I was desperate to lose weight and turned to the internet, searching for quick solutions. I came across all these strict diets that promised fast results. I started following them, some diets with less than one thousand calories a day.

At first, I felt proud because I thought I was being “disciplined,” but the hunger was unbearable. By the end of the week, I would allow myself a “cheat meal,” but those meals quickly turned into uncontrollable binges. I’d eat everything I had been avoiding all week, and afterward, I’d feel overwhelmed with guilt and shame. The next day, I would punish myself by restricting even more food, convincing myself that I needed to “fix” my mistakes. But every time I tried to be stricter, I ended up in the same place, hungry, exhausted, and binging all over again. It felt like I was trapped in a cycle I couldn’t break.

I hit a low point one night after a binge. I remember laying on my bed, surrounded by empty wrappers, feeling completely defeated. I kept thinking, “Why can’t

I control myself? What’s wrong with me?” That was the moment I realized something had to change. Not just how I ate, but how I thought about food and my body.

I started doing research again, but this time I looked for credible sources and learned about balanced nutrition.

I discovered that food isn’t the enemy, it’s fuel. I started eating in a way that nourished me, and I learned how important it was to listen to my body. Over time, I saw changes, not just in how I looked, but in how I felt about myself. I was no longer punishing my body, I was taking care of it.

That experience changed me completely. It taught me patience, self compassion, and the power of knowledge. Nutrition isn’t just something I’m passionate about, it’s become part of my identity. It’s shaped how I view health, food, and even life itself. Looking back, I’m thankful for those struggles because they gave me a purpose. I want to keep learning and eventually help others who feel the way I once did. I want to show them that healthy living isn’t about starving yourself or following impossible diets. It’s about balance, care, and understanding what our body truly needs.

Sophya is a student who loves learning about nutrition and health. Her own experiences with food and dieting have shaped the way she sees healthy eating. Now she hopes to help others understand that food is meant to fuel and nourish the body. In her free time she enjoys exercising, she loves going out on walks, and she also likes to cook.

Expression of Creativity Jaelyn B.

I don’t like drawing, or painting. I am terrible at both and lack the talent when it comes to it. However, there is one thing I love doing to express my art, and that is nails. I started this hobby a pretty long time ago with acrylic. I sat on my dining table with a fake plastic hand and all of my nail supplies watching countless YouTube tutorials and videos on how to do it. Little old me was confident and ready. That was until I actually tried it… little old me was not prepared for how hard the process actually was. Dipping the brush into the rancid smelling monomer (which reminded me of the nail salons I went to with my mother, watching her get her nails done with fascination), or dipping the wet brush into the special powder that formed a runny paste like substance, and applying it onto the fake hand’s nails. Hastily trying to shape the runny paste onto the nails, I thought, “how do the people in the videos make it look so easy?”

I struggled, practicing often on the dining table and annoying my family with the pungent smell of the monomer. It stunk up the whole house, but I was never bothered by it. I figured if I get really good and do this for money some day, I’ll have to smell it all day anyway. That was my plan after all: keep practicing, get good, and make it my job. This process wasn’t as easy as little old me thought it was either. It still isn’t to this day. I hit a lot of bumps in the road and stopped the hobby for a while, feeling discouraged, and staring at the

bumpy looking nails on my practice hand with a look of annoyance and disappointment.

I’m the type of person to try something new and move on to the next when I’m not immediately good at it. It’s a bad habit, I know. This break lasted for about two years before I saw a lot of videos pop up on my social media about acrylic nails. I went into the same rabbit hole I did years ago, watching countless videos of professionals working. How they flawlessly moved their brushes and worked swiftly. It only sparked the same fascination as when I watched my mother get her nails done, and the same passion I felt when I practiced all that time ago. So I picked the hobby back up again, practicing on both my precious practice hand and myself. I told myself that no matter how bad I might be, I’ll practice until I like what I see. I used to not believe people when they said that practice pays off, but it really does. The more I practiced on myself and my hand, the more confident I got to try it on others. So, I did.

My sister and my mother were the first two victims, spending hours sitting down while I struggled to perfect everything. Doing nails takes a while, even for a professional it takes up to two hours, so imagine me, a non-professional little girl who frustrated herself with every step. My mother of course was tired after the first hour in the chair. Then the second hour passed, then the third, and then the fourth. Four hours it took to do ten nails with a simple design, talk about discouraging. I didn’t let it stop me, though. I still won’t. Now I do countless nail sets on myself and family members to rack up as much experience and practice as possible. I enjoy making them happy with the art on their nails and seeing

progress in my work. Am I the best? Definitely not, and I don’t expect to be. But when you’re passionate about something, you can’t really just give it up.

Jaelyn B. loves listening to music whenever she can. She can be quiet in public but is loud with people she’s comfortable with. She dreams of having a solid career that she is confident in. She has goals that she plans to achieve one way or another.

Creativity of the Brain

A.L.C.

How can someone be so talented? Were they naturally gifted? Did they have top-notch teachers? What made them decide to become a painter? Did they start young?

All these questions have been asked before. Asked by kids, adults, elders, professionals, beginners, you name it. I personally have been asked quite a few questions like this in my lifetime. “Wow you draw so well, are you naturally gifted?”, “Have you taken art classes before?”, “How long have you been drawing for?”, and so on. It doesn’t make me mad or anything, but whenever people ask questions or compliment my art and just leave, I just look down at my art and wish I could draw better.

I’ve been drawing for the majority of my life, even though I’m young I’ve made great strides in my journey. Art for me isn’t just mindlessly doodling what I see around the world. I use my vision to imagine scenarios, settings, and interactions in the paper world. It’s a creative outlet, a creative escapism to run away from the bleak world. I could sit down and think of a million ideas. A bird flying through the jungle, a quiet moment in a park, a girl sitting in her dimmed room, tirelessly scraping away with her brush and palette knife on a canvas. In the real life world I sit down and think, and I wonder, and I hope. “Why can’t I draw it? Why can’t I draw these ideas? Am I not good enough?” Maybe I should just find another hobby. I think every artist has had these sorts of thoughts, these thoughts of feeling not good enough.

When I was younger, I’d show my creations to my family. They’d cheer me on and years later they still cheer me on. So why do I feel so helpless? Is it the weight of having to abandon your dreams to conform to the real world?

I’ve seen people online describe a phenomenon, “When you’re young you’re full of creativity, then as you grow older and improve you lose your creativity.” It’s true, but then I realized something in the middle of the night one day. Laying down facing the ceiling, I realized that all my worries actually didn’t mean anything! You see, I spent all my life questioning my own dreams, I thought that I wasn’t able to express myself to the fullest extent. So I started ignoring the negative thoughts, I started reflecting on my behavior and actions. It’s hard at first, to overcome your problems, but once you start picking at it little by little, you become an unstoppable force.

For me, instead of mindlessly scrolling through art trying to find the perfect inspiration, I made a goal for myself to study something specific, this could be something like anatomy or landscapes. I drew a specific body part and studied real life forests and mountains to learn about their structure. Artists also shouldn’t lose their creativity, learning how things are drawn accurately can be limiting, while you learn how to draw the world, you should also add your own flair to your artwork. Adding bright colors to a house, for example, can make the viewer interested in your piece, but of course everything comes down to the artist and what they want to do. What I’m trying to get at here is that it can be hard. It can be hard to do the things you love when you have doubtful thoughts, but as you keep going you find solutions to your problems and improve in different aspects of your life. Seriously,

YOU, the reader, are more ambitious and creative than you think you are. Learn how to draw, learn how to skate, hell go learn about the ancient wars in Rome! Learn whatever you like, screw the bad thoughts, just start somewhere. Now we will continue our journeys.

Art is a constant cycle of trial and error, a path of improving and finding what you like to draw. Continue doing what you love dear reader, and never give up your dreams.

A.L.C. lives in Los Angeles, California. She is in grade ten and loves drawing and creating paintings, whether that be digital or physical. She owns a cat named Gojo and a dog named Yoyo who she cares for very much. She also loves to play horror video games with her friends to have a good laugh and scare.

The First Sighting

Giselle G.

When I was younger, about eight or nine, when I was still in elementary school, my older sister and I would get picked up after school by my dad and we would go to his auto body shop. It was really fun. We would help him with work by washing the newly fixed cars or we’d just hang out, do homework, and play. I’ve always loved going with my dad to his shop, I loved seeing all the different cars that my dad fixed and painted. I loved how the engines looked and I was fascinated with how they worked. I loved the different shapes of the cars. Sports cars looked different than trucks; they were tiny. The interiors felt custom-made like it was made for just one person. I loved how you can add new bumpers or tails to cars because it could make a car different from its original make. My dad drove a 2005 Ford Mustang; he loved them too. My dad liking Mustangs made me want to know more about these cars. If he liked them, and knew so much about cars, there had to be something really special about them. From a young age I’ve been drawn to Mustangs.

When I was around 13, I became very interested in the 1966 Ford Mustang. I first saw this car when I watched my favorite movie, The Princess Diaries. Mia, the main character, showed me that this wasn’t just a car, it was something you could connect with. I loved how she kept trying to drive the Mustang but couldn’t, and I thought, “Is there something different about these cars that make them hard to drive?”

When I came to love the 1966 Ford Mustang was also when I got interested in model car kits. I’m the only one in my family who loves them. I went to Hobby Lobby where they had a whole section of model car kits. I felt excited and wanted to try it out. These kits were for display and the thing was, they had any kind of car that you could think of. My first kit had to be the 1966 Mustang. At first it was really difficult to build and it did not really turn out looking that good. There were a lot of instructions for this model. I started getting irritated with some of the pieces and where they should go, adding too much glue in some of the pieces and putting pieces in different order causing me to do it all over again. However, I was able to finish building it. Since then, I’ve been buying more and different kinds of model kits for my collection. I’ve even started buying more kits of the 1966 Mustang in different colors and practicing making it look better than my first one. This hobby made me be more patient with things and made me feel a sense of joy, like there is something I love doing in my own time. Over the time I’ve gotten better at building these kits.

The thing that I love about the 1966 Ford Mustang, and what makes it stand out from the rest, is the chrome hood molding and the upgraded wheels. The 1966 Mustang is just the most iconic muscle car that was ever built. Me and my dad just loved this car because we both really liked how this was a muscle car but it looks so classy. Classic cars look different from muscle cars, so it’s rare that the 1966 combines both styles. I hope to have a 1966 Mustang of my own one day.

Giselle G., the author of this first story she wrote called “The First Sighting,” would like to share some things in particular about herself. Even though her story is about cars, she also wants to include that she’s from LA and she has a big passion for drawing in her spare time.

Sounds of Symphony

Aurora

I’m not good at starting stories or talking about personal experiences, and I’ll probably use “I” way too many times, so I’ll just get straight to the whole point of this thing. Music saved my life. When I say that music saved my life, I mean it in a mental way. It saved my mental state of mind of being and thinking that I was nothing. When I was younger, I didn’t have many friends so I was always alone. I developed a habit of talking to myself which just made my situation worse than before. I was seen as the weird kid, someone who was “dangerous,” someone who you shouldn’t be around unless you wanted to be branded as weird too. I stuck with this image and purposely pushed people away from me because I didn’t wish to be hurt. I didn’t want to cause or gain any more pain than I “had” already. In all of that time, I genuinely thought that I was worthless and couldn’t contribute to anything at all. I thought that I was alone and that no one could relate to me.

All until I found an artist that went by iamjakehill. His lyrics struck a personal note in my heart. They alone made me realize that life is worth living. Just from listening to him, the first artist I ever discovered on my own, I felt a sense of pride. It was like finding something you lost a long time ago, and that thing I lost was my pride and my own self appreciation. After listening to some of Jake Hill’s music, I started expanding my music taste until I found something that fit me perfectly: a little

style called digicore. It’s a subgenre of hyperpop, which most people find very cringy and stupid, but to an ADHD kid with no way to get out their energy, it was perfect.

One thing people don’t realize is that music is more than something with a catchy beat or something relatable. Music tells the story of someone’s life and explains all the hardships that they’ve gone through, which is how I found friends in music. Maybe not physical friends, but friends in the music industry. I started making my own music and even have a few songs out there somewhere.

Music has single-handedly changed my life in every way. I went from some freak who talked to himself thinking every day that they were worthless, to someone who now makes music, has a job, and no longer thinks that they’re worthless. The worthlessness has changed to an understanding and a learning curve to find more about myself and my love for music.

Aurora loves all types of music, no matter what genre, whether it be country or k-pop. If they listen to it for long enough they’ll get a feel for it. They’re not opposed to the idea of finding new things, and rather love to discover new people and new music.

Apple Cider Layla

Plugging in my headphones was an escape. A place that was quiet and personal. One where I could choose to either dissect my emotions or forget them completely.

On my first day of high school, I walked into what felt like the largest campus in the world with butterflies in my stomach and a wrinkled map in my hand. I vividly remember nervously asking people for directions, walking into just about every class late, and wondering how something this big and different would become my new normal. As I went throughout my day, no specific class stood out to me, except for one, my fifth period. It wasn’t only because of the subject. Walking in, I remember being in awe of all of the computers and printers set up, and seeing a boy for the first time. I remember him catching my attention, and me growing instantly captivated by him. Out of nowhere, my face grew hot and the butterflies in my stomach reappeared as I made a second of eye contact with him. I found myself sharing awkward glances until the teacher began sharing the class syllabus and the bell rang. By the end of the day, I was so excited and nervous, caught in a whirlwind of mixed emotions and newfound responsibilities. That evening, with a fast-running mind and the image of the mystery boy in my class reappearing, I plugged in my headphones, put one foot in front of the other and replayed my day as I walked home.

This routine became a ritual, and day after day, week after week, and month after month, music became my way of making sense of each new day and my response to process the changes I was facing. I remember walking home and looking up at the houses, tapping my fingers to the beat of each song, and my mind wandering. I’d think about work I had to do and how I’d do it. I’d think about the interactions me and mystery boy had in class that day, and later on I’d have it playing while I studied for my next test. All my thinking led me home with an organized mind and clearer thoughts.

Before I knew it, time had passed and the changes that seemed so big in my life started to become less confusing and more tangible, except maybe one. It wasn’t long before I realized that it wasn’t only the world around me that was changing, but it was me as well. I had developed this thing where every time I saw that boy in my fifth period class, I had to hide my face, and every time he was somewhere, I had to be there too. In every crowded hall I subconsciously looked for him, and every time I plugged in my headphones, I associated him with every song that played. This was a scary feeling, but also sweet, and a bit stupid. Honestly, if I thought about it too hard, I would start to feel a little crazy. I felt like I couldn’t understand my own feelings, and I surely couldn’t explain my feelings to anyone else. So, naturally, I created a Spotify playlist of every single song that reminded me of him. I let the lyrics, the beat, and the melody of each song speak for me and even if I wasn’t able to express my emotions myself, I was able to hear my favorite artists express them for me. I realized that I actually wasn’t going crazy, I was experiencing the thing that almost every love song that I had heard talked

about, and that was okay. Unlike with the other changes I was trying to process through music, with my feelings for this boy, I didn’t need to think, I could just feel.

It wasn’t long before I reached where I am now: midsecond semester, sophomore year. My campus is much smaller than it once seemed, and I know my way around. That mystery boy who I now happily call my boyfriend, still makes me blush and gives me butterflies. Music transformed into my safe space. It became a place where I could go to gather my thoughts and emotions and dissect them, compartmentalize them, and balance them into a perfect harmony that I could understand. It became a place where I could go to escape my thoughts, clear my mind, and find peace.

Layla is a sophomore in high school with the hopes of working in the film industry. She wants to create and help create stories that touch the hearts of their viewers and provide them with an escape from their reality in times of need. She believes that entertainment and art is always needed and can help change the world in beautiful ways. Bringing comfort and happiness through her passion is her greatest goal in life.

Life Marcell

Life is full of stories and mysteries. I think about life ever since I had to grow up. I want this story to connect with the reader, and I want you to feel like you can set examples for yourself. I usually look up to role models like my dad to set goals like working out, owning a business or simply making money. I want my life to be fulfilled, but by you reading this book I want your life to be fulfilled also, and you can read this and get a better view or perspective on life.

To take life seriously you must set yourself some examples. Take me as an example. I set myself goals every morning making sure I can fully see if I’m truly ready for life. There will be some roadblocks with your mind and yourself, but you can achieve those goals. The goals I set for myself are to achieve something new each day I wake up. I want to set an example for the reader, that if you wake up and set a simple goal like doing a push up, reading a book, or making your bed, it can teach you how you can do more in life each day. My mom told me I can do it only if I put my mind to it. Reader, I want you to think about what you can do if you truly put your mind into thinking about life. I want you to close your eyes for five seconds and think about what you can do if you actually truly think about it. I want you to think ahead of yourself. The whole point of this story is to teach you how in life we should stay committed and never lose focus on what we are committed to. Even if it’s a video game, a TV show, or a job.

I wrote this story just to show how every kid, teenager or grown adult should never give up, delete those negative remarks and thoughts from their head, think positive and make sure to stay positive. I want this story to fully connect with you. So think about setting a goal and doing that goal the next morning when you wake up. It’ll help you achieve more in life.

Marcell is a student who loves baking, gaming with friends, and reflecting deeply on life. This story came from quiet moments of thinking alone, where he realized he wanted to write something that inspires others to see the good in everyday life. He’s grateful to his amazing friends, like Geovanni, Eren, Chase, and especially Skye, for shaping his perspective and motivating him to share this.

Jessica Art to Life

There are many ways a person is able to express themselves and show their creative side. For me, I’m able to show my creativity through art. Being able to brainstorm what I’m going to draw and what colors I’m going to use is like choosing what I am going to create. Drawing and coloring just prove something that not a lot of people get to see.

Although it sounds very simple, drawing, coloring, and painting have shown me a lot of things. I view art being almost like life. We are the canvas and every time paint is added onto us it could mean problems. It’s a process the painting goes through in order to become beautiful. All the colors picked out may seem very random and like they don’t match, but once they are used and added onto the painting, they create different images on the canvas. They can make so much sense, even by using the colors that seemed like they didn’t match at first. Another reason I see life almost being like art is because we’re able to choose the colors. This reminds me of Vincent van Gogh’s strategy when he painted. He used his art to express his inner world, something that resonated deeply with viewers like me. The colors he used in his paintings determined the mood he was in, whether he was in a bad or in a good mood. This showed me how you can determine the way your painting comes out, rather than letting your situation dictate the way you move through life. By choosing happy colors, I can make my painting become beautiful.

Jessica was born and raised in Los Angeles. She loves doing outdoor activities. But when she’s indoors, she spends most of her free time drawing and coloring. Aside from drawing and coloring, she loves going out on walks and going to the beach. She finds painting inspiration from sunsets and outdoor views.

Why Do Sports Mean Something to Me?

Kevin

Most of my life, I’ve wanted to become a D1 athlete or at least someone who could be called great at a sport. One of the sports I played the most was soccer. I’ve been playing it since I was a kid; I’ve also been watching the games they put on TV with my dad or cousins, but I wasn’t really ever good at shooting and stuff. I was a better defensive type, but still I didn’t mind it as long as I had fun playing the sport; that’s what matters to me now.

But it wasn’t always like that.

When elementary school started, I got more into soccer. That’s when I started playing all kinds of sports with my friends who were really good at them. I had other people to play with during lunch and recess. It was fun, but I was still not the best at shooting. I would usually play the position of goalkeeper or center back or even right back. But I didn’t really enjoy playing those positions because I didn’t just wanna block and stop people from scoring, I wanted to be the one to score.

Sometimes I would play as the striker for fun and to mess around because I was also a defender half the time and I didn’t really like that. Obviously nobody wants to be a defender for a long time and instead get some glory for scoring.

Once I got to middle school, I started getting into

football. I started watching some games and wanted to learn how to play. When we had breaks, me and my homies would go play either football or soccer since those were mainly the two sports we liked playing. After a while, I started getting better at football; I learned how to catch with one hand and throw kinda far. It’s still a little hard for me to throw the ball far, but that won’t stop me from learning and making the ball go further and faster.

I also learned how to defend in football. It’s kinda confusing but once you get it, you’ll be good. You just have to keep your eyes on the player and look back to see if the ball is in the air so you can block it before it gets to their hand. From there, that’s how I started liking football and got even more interested in sports.

From then on, I realized that you don’t always have to take on the position of a forward to have all the glory or to become a D1 athlete or to be someone great at a sport. Being a defender, you could still be someone great and be different. If you keep that mentality and put in the hard work, you’ll be able to accomplish your goals.

Defense is a type of role many people choose to not play mostly because they wanna play a forward position or a position that moves around more and scores. Obviously everyone wants to feel the glory after scoring for your team and get praise for it. Defense has its own important role though, without defense your team is nothing even with good forward players.

Defense has a way more important meaning to it, and over time I realized that. That’s when I started to accept the defense role instead of trying to get good at

a forward position that I’m not great at. Without a good defense to help your team, your team will most likely end up losing. Each defense position plays a key role in the game to stop other players from scoring and they help the players who are forward. That’s why it’s always good to play your position to the best even if you’re playing a position you don’t wanna play.

With all the knowledge I’ve learned about defense, I’ve learned that instead of complaining and wanting to choose something else, to just accept it. Defense has its own purpose and could still be fun and get the glory you still want. You just have to put in hard work and not complain about things. This taught me to just accept things as they are because at the end of the day, there’s always gonna be a spot for you if you just put in hard work.

Kevin was born and raised in the Westside, in Venice, where it’s sunny and not gloomy. He’s a tenth grader. He likes going out and playing some sports. He also likes exploring, going to fun places, and playing games but all with friends because if you do it alone it gets boring.

The Impact of Kobe and Basketball on My Life

Anthony B.

I have played sports for the most part of my life, and more specifically I have played basketball the most. I learned about the sport from my family growing up. They would always play against each other at family gatherings, and when I got old enough I got my own court and would always play in my free time. Later on after elementary school I joined my first basketball team with some cousins and we became a lot closer during this time. We were together almost every day practicing to become better and playing games against other people. School also helped develop my passion for basketball. At my elementary school there was a basketball court and I would always play games against other students during recess and lunch.

One day when I was a kid, I overheard people compare players. That day, I learned Kobe had scored 81 points in one basketball game. That was my first memory of him. He was my cousins’ favorite player too. Kobe Bean Bryant, a shooting guard, spent his entire 20 year career with the Los Angeles Lakers in the National Basketball Association.

Watching Kobe gave me an idea of what type of player I should be. Still to this day, Kobe is my favorite player and I try to be the same kind of player he was. I try to have a winning mindset every time I step on the court.

Kobe wasn’t your average player; he would show up two hours early for practice and games. Not only this but he also would practice six hours a day and six days a week. One of Kobe’s famous quotes that stuck with me is “Hard work outweighs talent—every time.” This quote was made after Game 2 of the 2009 NBA Finals when a reporter asked him why he wasn’t happy. His hard work helped teach me that the pursuit of greatness is a daily commitment, not a one time effort, and that challenges are opportunities to grow, not setbacks.

Basketball has been in my life almost every step of the way. My experiences with playing and watching people like Kobe play helped shape my understanding of teamwork, and resilience in many ways. It gave me the mindset to always have sportsmanship and that no matter who I’m playing, I will always play with the mindset that I’m better than whoever I’m playing against.

In the end the thing I enjoy and know the most about is basketball.

Anthony B. is 15, the oldest of four siblings, and he plays basketball in his free time. His favorite rappers right now are NBA YoungBoy and BabyChiefDoit.

Los Arcoiris de las Faldas

Maya L.

At the young age of two, my parents decided to put me in my first folklórico dance group. It all started before I was born, when my three aunts joined Amalia Hernández’s group in the late 90’s. She’s the OG dancer who merged all the traditional dances of Mexico and made Folklórico a genre. I grew up watching videos of my aunts performing, flowing on the stage effortlessly like birds. Every dancer had a different color to them and if you looked at it from the side for a second you could see a rainbow of flying colors.

Being two years old and dancing was a struggle. I always ended the day crying on the floor out of frustration of not being able to do the steps, wanting to go home. I remember my first performance, I was so excited to dance in front of everyone. It was Día de Los Muertos and I had my face painted and my hair pinned up in a bun. The air was cold and the heat of the lamp on top of me shone bright. Everyone was cheering us on. The music began and everything was good until I froze up and began to cry. I saw hands reaching out to me from the crowd, they were familiar hands. As I looked up I saw a warm familiar face, my grandma. I jumped into her arms as I continued to cry but I was happy to be in her embrace. It was warm, it was home. That moment began my 12 year long dance journey.

I’ve switched dance groups at least two times. I began with the Grandeza Mexicana group but we quickly

switched. My mom says that they were too focused on competitions at the time and not enough time to spend on their students, it made me feel ignored but I learned that just because I’m not good at something it doesn’t mean I’ve failed. My parents searched for weeks and came to Grupo La Rosa. We were there for a good year or so, but we never really got much done. I remember the teacher let the boys do what they wanted as we (the girls) practiced away. That’s where I really got my skills up though. I learned how to double step, boracho, do side steps and all the basics. My dad had to drag me and my sister out of bed to get us ready for practice, which was once a week during the weekend.

It was the same everywhere, all black with your hair always back in a ponytail or bun (a bun preferred though). It was professional and it was tradition. I made a friend in the group whose name I don’t remember. She was the same age as me with a lot of energy, short with skin as white as snow and light brown hair. Every performance I had we would explore in the back of the stage waiting for our turn to go up. We spent the time talking to the older dancers. It was fun but it didn’t last long because we switched again, since my parents were tired of how unprofessional the teacher was.

Even through all the transitions and the complaining, the best part was at the end of the day when we would visit my grandma’s house since she lived close to the area where we practiced. Me and my sister were always greeted with a big hug and delicious food and my favorite pasta (she knew I loved noodles).

Then, my cousin recommended a group called Passion

De Mi Tierra, a group she was gonna start in and wanted us to join with her. Those five years I spent with my teacher there were unforgettable. Even through all the complaining of having to get up early on a Sunday, the lessons I got weren’t only about learning choreography but about the history of each dance we performed, and the thought that went into his original pieces. The group wasn’t just people who came to dance, it became a second family. We always had deep conversations or shared personal moments at the end of every practice as we huddled in a circle listening to each other. My teacher would always compliment me saying I was a natural. How the steps came so easily to me as I would see others struggling to master something I got in a second. He was tough on us in a good way.

I remember attending an Amalia Hernández performance. My experience as someone behind the scenes, knowing the commitment and dedication needed to memorize each step, getting perfectly in sync, and the hours upon hours it takes to look effortless on the stage, really helped me appreciate every part.

Even though I complained every day about having to get up early, I miss the excitement and the fun we had learning new choreography. I would never trade my time learning folklórico because it was way more than just tradition: it was comfort, warmth, pride, growth, discipline, it was my second home.

Maya is a Latina daughter of two hard working parents who love Sonny Angels and Sanrio. She wanted to talk about her journey in folklórico because it wasn’t

something she talked about and was never something she was able to show how proud she was of it. Folklórico helped Maya grow up and learn the ways of life.

Too Much Is Never Too Good

Cadmiel

We’ve all heard the phrases “too much of anything isn’t good” or “too much can cause more harm than good.” But how much is too much? Growing up, many of us are constantly told not to do certain things, like taking drugs or smoking. Ironically, the more someone tells a kid not to do something, the more curious the kid becomes, often leading them to try it. Unfortunately, that was my experience. I “greened out,” or as some might call it, an overdose. It was an accident. Now, you might wonder, “How does that happen by accident?” Well, once you’ve taken a certain amount of a drug, especially with a low tolerance, your brain gets foggy, and you start forgetting what you’ve already done.

It was around noon when it started hitting me. Since I have severe asthma, it was normal for me to have an irregular heart rate. But this time, my heart felt heavy, and something was clearly wrong. I didn’t care about getting in trouble. I just needed help. I texted a friend, hoping they could help me and I kept 911 on dial.

Soon, I couldn’t move and everything became a blur. The next thing I remember was waking up at the hospital entrance, being rushed into the emergency room. I had been unconscious for 10 hours and didn’t fully wake up until 10:00 PM. Even when I got home, I wasn’t fully okay. At one point, I briefly woke up in the hospital and saw myself hooked up to machines with tubes in my nose. Then I blacked out again. That experience taught me

a hard lesson about why our parents warn us against drugs or risky behavior. Because in the end, it’s your life on the line.

Looking back, I hardly remember that day, but I know it was the worst day of my life so far. Sometimes, it takes us to learn the hard way. Bottom line: your life is valuable, and no moment of curiosity is worth risking it.

Cadmiel was born and raised in LA. She’s going to graduate from high school a year early to start on her career. She currently attends VSH and coaches volleyball for younger girls at a park.

My Dream to Serve: Joining the US Army

Lesly

For as long as I can remember, I’ve wanted to join the US Army. It’s not just about the uniform or the respect, it’s about doing something that matters, something bigger than myself. I’m only sixteen, but every step I take right now is leading me toward that goal. I wake up early every day to run, to push myself harder than I ever thought I could. Some days, my legs feel like giving out, but I keep going. I’ve started lifting weights, eating better, and focusing on my grades because I know the army doesn’t just take anyone. They take people who are ready physically, mentally, and emotionally. The reason I want to join the army is simple: I want to make a difference.

My family is afraid. They tell me that the army isn’t just about training and serving—it also means danger. The isolation makes you stop talking to your family for six months. If something happens to me in those six months, die or live, my family would be scared of the possibility that something could go wrong. They imagine the worst: war, injuries, the risk of never coming home. They remind me that life in the army isn’t for everyone, that there are strict rules, tough situations, and moments of loneliness. Sometimes, their words make me doubt myself, but at the same time, they push me to prove that I’m strong and capable of handling challenges.

I want to be the person who steps up when others can’t. I’ve always felt this strong need to protect people, to help those who can’t help themselves. Whether it’s serving on the frontlines, providing aid during a disaster, or being part of something that keeps our country safe, I know I’ll be doing something that truly matters.

That’s what drives me every single day. I’ve also been preparing mentally. I spend hours researching army life and reading about basic training, the discipline it takes, and the sacrifices soldiers make every day. I’ve learned about deployments, long nights away from family, and the bonds that soldiers build in the hardest situations imaginable. It’s not easy to think about leaving home or the dangers I might face, but it’s worth it. I want to be the person people can rely on when things go wrong and that’s why I’m trying to go into the arms. Beyond the physical training, I’m also focusing on my education. I know that intelligence and problem-solving skills are just as valuable in the Army as strength and endurance. That’s why I’m committed to keeping my grades up, studying hard, and learning as much as I can. The more I prepare now, the better soldier I’ll become in the future. The army isn’t just about fighting: it’s about leadership, teamwork, and responsibility. I want to develop those qualities in myself so I can be ready when the time comes in life.

Lesly loves making people laugh and enjoying life to the fullest. When she’s not working on geometry or schoolwork, she is into music, hanging out with friends, and keeping things fun and lighthearted. Her favorite hobby? Finding humor in everything!

Always Listening to a Song

Nathan

I’m always listening to a song in my head. I listen to music throughout my day and I don’t take it lightly when I say that. Whatever I do, I always have headphones in. If it’s not a sunny day, I listen to quieter music to match the vibe. For instance, today is going to be a sunny day, so I’ll go through my playlists and choose a fitting song.

Now I can’t really listen to music because of the phone ban so I just have to imagine it. I’m thinking of the lyrics, I can hear the beat in my head. It soothes my brain. Sometimes I get overwhelmed with the people in the classroom, so I listen to music. It straightens my thoughts. My headphones have noise cancellation so there’s only one thing to think about. I just think music is everywhere and everybody listens to something. Music is the first thing I think of when people ask about me. I listen to music.

I just feel like it’s me. In the moment, the musician who made the song felt that way, so I’ll relate to it. Knowing what you like is important. That’s your character. If you capitalize on what you like you can build more character.

Nathan is an active fighter who enjoys others’ company. Nathan cares for his peers and likes to give back.

Why So Intrigued?

Samantha

Ever since I listened to my first crime documentary I’ve kept listening and watching them. Crime documentaries are interesting to listen to and learn about, but they’ve also inspired me to wanna become someone who investigates crime.

I discovered murder cases and documentaries through my mom. I still remember the very first time I heard one. I was walking into the kitchen, my mom was cutting something up, and her phone was set up on the counter. While I was in the kitchen I asked my mom what she was listening to. She told me that she was listening to this case about a girl who had gone missing and what had happened to her. I told her that it sounded scary and asked her if she didn’t get scared listening to them, and she responded, “No pero me da cosita.” I got curious so I decided to stay and listen to it with her.

Crime documentaries make me connect with my mom because every time I watch one, I’m grateful that these things haven’t happened to us or her. One of the very first documentaries I watched with my mom was What Did Jennifer Do? It was so interesting how small things can trigger people into committing really big crimes. My mom suggested we watch some together, so we scrolled down Netflix. We looked at some options but in the end, we chose this one. We were both interested in seeing what happened. This one was about a girl who

killed her parents because they didn’t let her date, but in the end, the guy she was dating had used her. At the end my mom made a joke saying, “You better not turn out like Jennifer.”

I started wondering how there are so many people that go missing, or something happens to them, and we never really know what. The only way for us to know what happened is if they tell their story. It’s important for others to know the truth about these events. Before getting hooked on crime documentaries, I used to watch this TV show where I first heard of true crime. Every week I would listen to a new one, usually while getting ready in the morning. I later found this YouTuber that in every video talks about a different murder case and goes over all the details and evidence that has been found, and what has happened to the people involved in the crime. The first video I watched from her was about a girl that got kidnapped but her mom found her. This got me interested and I continued to watch her videos. Her videos were in-depth, because you got to know everything and not just some parts of it. I could imagine witnessing the crime happening or what others experienced when it happened.

What interested me about crime documentaries is seeing why everyone involved did what they did and how this affected them and everyone around them. I also liked seeing how investigators slowly put things together to solve a case. This made me interested in becoming part of the FBI, because before I already kinda wanted to do it, but I know it would mean getting to help others tell their story when they can’t by solving what happened to them. This way everyone can know the truth about them.

The way people think and why they do what they do interests me, yes, but what also interests me is how someone’s story can be unknown forever unless someone else tells it for them, and I want to be that someone.

Samantha enjoys learning new things and hobbies. She likes watching movies and documentaries, reading, and listening to music. She also wants to travel a lot in the future and explore new places.

Baking is Yum

Zion G.

I’m a tour guide for baking. For as long as I can remember, I’ve loved food and making it. As a kid, my dad would work at restaurants and people’s houses as a private chef, and he used to always bring me with him to see him do his work and cooking. I was mostly fascinated with the baking part of his job. I always wanted to help him bake any of the muffins or the things he was making that day, but I was young and not the best at it.

During covid is when I mostly started doing it on my own. I started with some simple peanut butter cookies. Then I went for cinnamon rolls that didn’t come out well because I didn’t use active yeast so they didn’t rise. The second time I baked them, they came out pretty good.

Ever since my family knew I was into baking they’ve been making me make apple pie every year for Thanksgiving and Christmas, but I don’t mind. Most recently, I made strawberry shortcake and red velvet cookies. They both turned out better than anything I’ve ever made. My favorite things I’ve made are éclairs, croissants, lavender cake, and Oreo cheesecake.

The éclairs and the croissants are by far the hardest things I’ve made though. The éclairs were hard because I had to carefully measure every ingredient and it was very time consuming. I had to get a special chocolate so it would melt easily to make the ganache which is basically a chocolate sauce that goes on top of the éclair. Then the

custard inside was even harder because I had to mix the hot heavy cream with egg yolks, but I had to slowly pour it and mix at the same time so it wouldn’t scramble the egg. Luckily they turned out pretty good.

Now, the croissants turned out okay but they took so long. First, I had to buy an expensive butter because I needed a good butter that has more fat in it, so the croissant can turn out better. After making the dough I had to shape it into a 17 by 8 inch square then put it in the fridge for 12 hours. Then I had to soften the butter and shape it into a 4 by 4 inch square then do the same as the dough. After 12 hours of chilling I had to place the butter on the dough and fold it in the dough twice to put it in the fridge. Then I had to do more folding and chilling. After that was done I cut them into long triangles and rolled them up, then put them in the oven. I was happily surprised that they turned out pretty good. My mom only lets me bake about twice a month because she doesn’t want to get fat, but on special occasions she lets me go past that limit. I love to bake and I always will.

George I Don’t Think I Can Ever Dislike Pokémon

First things first, my name is George and I am from the United States of America (USA), born and raised in California with my parents and grandparents, and I don’t think I can ever dislike Pokémon.

By the time I was six, I had already watched a lot of shows and a few movies about Pokémon. My mom knew I would like it, and my dad put it on. I would watch the show every afternoon, when it aired on Cartoon Network. My grandpa would waltz in and watch it with me occasionally. My grandma didn’t know much about the show, but she thought it was cool.

There was a specific fight I really loved when I watched the show. It was a Mega Charizard X against a Mewtwo. I remember the moment when Charizard, my favorite Pokémon, right off the bat tried fighting Mewtwo, who was the strongest Pokémon in the entire show. Charizard had an expression that looked like he was going to win the fight, and I loved seeing him just not care and be so confident. The soundtrack for the fight was really intense and so was the fight itself. Charizard and Mewtwo both looked like they wanted to give up while still doing crazy damage to each other, making the fight super suspenseful. I couldn’t stop rewatching the fight on YouTube.

Several months went by, and my parents realized I really loved this show. When they found out the show had a Trading Card Game (TCG) with cool art on the cards, they had the idea of getting me some. They surprised me with them as a very late birthday gift the next day. I think I was turning seven. They saw how psyched I was when I saw the Pokémon cards. They hid the cards behind their back and called me in from my room. Charmander, the first evolution of Charizard, was in one of them. My parents were eager to get me more after seeing how much I loved my cards. After a while, I started taking my cards to school because my friends had some too, so we would play during recess and lunch. We would even try to finish our work the fastest to be able to play a couple of matches with our cards during class.

My grandma didn’t really know what the cards were and just so happened to throw away a card that’s now worth five hundred and fifty dollars… it was a 2014 Mega Charizard EX XY Flashfire!

Nowadays, I still really like Pokémon, but maybe not as much as I did when I was younger and I made it my personality. I would wear Pokémon clothes and even sleep with a Pokémon blanket. Overall, Pokémon still brings me a lot of joy and I still play the old retro games like Pokémon Fire Red or the XY series. I often still go back and watch the anime from the early 2000s when I was a kid and I doubt I’ll ever dislike Pokémon.

George’s favorite hobbies are just collecting Pokémon cards. He was born and raised in California. Another thing is he was raised half his life with his grandparents.

Black Match

Joaquin M.T.

I never really understood football before. It just seemed like a bunch of people running around tackling each other like in a crazy WWE wrestling match. I thought it looked like a horde of titans trying to knock each other’s heads off. I thought it was too much to comprehend all at the same time, both watching and playing it.

Honestly, football overwhelmed me and I was skeptical about trying things that I wasn’t familiar with. Until one day my friend was talking about joining the team and invited me to come join him. I never thought I’d find myself obsessed with football. At first I was like ehh, I wasn’t so sure if I wanted to. I’d heard about so many injuries coming from football, and all the competition, but I thought about it. I realized this could be a way for me to meet new people, and find a new hobby. On top of that, I’d have my friend right beside me so I thought to myself, “How bad can it be?” And that’s when everything changed.

I remember my first ever practice, it was during the summer and everyone was so big and strong. I was just the shy old me. Everyone was so good too! They were like pros and I was like a noob (new) just watching them from afar analyzing everything. It all made me really nervous with everyone being so competitive. During my football practices we would do drills and sevenon-sevens, and I would always mess up on almost

every single drill and play. I felt like giving up because everyone would play flawlessly most of the time, and I would constantly mess up. I was losing motivation to keep on pursuing football until my friend asked if I wanted to practice with him at his house because he was having some trouble too. He was better than me, so I thought I’d learn a few things from him and would have nothing to lose.

Almost every day after practice I would go to his house to work on my footwork, tackling drills, zone coverage drills, and man vs. man drills like Black Match. Black Match was a play we always incorporated into our drills where everyone had a responsibility of covering one person so you’d have less chance of a higher yard gain by the offense. We mostly did that defensive play in practice, and in games too. Every play would come from Black Match. Slowly but surely, I improved on my skills. Even if it was just a little, it was still progress. I would slowly get better at practice and the coaches started noticing me. I was starting to build confidence and a spark was lighting up inside me. And then came my first game.

The energy was amazing: the cheers, the people, the cheerleaders—everything. It was so exciting it felt like a sugar rush with all the adrenaline pumping through my veins.

Now, football is a passion of mine that I love. It’s exciting, fun, and it allows me to connect and meet with others in a positive way. It’s allowed me to find a whole different type of community that felt the same way as I did. It’s changed my life for the better, giving me something to look forward to every year during football season.

Football is more than just a game, it’s a family and community. Football gives me a sense of belonging.

My Catholic Faith

N.

The importance in any Hispanic household is religion. When you are Catholic, you believe in many things that are said in the Bible. But the one thing that is truly believed is that there is one God and the Holy Trinity: Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit. Every Sunday is the Sabbath day or day of rest, and religion here means everything. Religion is how my family and family friends have come together, although I don’t think I ever understood my religion that much, nor put much thought into it. In my mind, when we went to Sunday church, I was just focused on the lights, statues, and the smell—such a nice smell of comfort.

At times, I have blamed the One who loved me the most out of anger and cursed him out on why he would let such a thing happen to me, “God, I hate you and everything else.” And then I would bawl my eyes out from regret and self-hate. Then there were other times where I yapped about my whole day and everything that came to mind like he was my best friend. I no longer do that as much.

I went to a Catholic school for seven years, and those years went so fast yet so slow. Each year the number of students slowly decreased and everything was boring. I moved schools for eighth grade and then never paid much attention to my religion. I felt free to make dumb choices.

Then, I turned fifteen and had my quinceañera, the

Adali

celebration of a girl’s fifteenth birthday and marking her passage from girlhood to womanhood. A quince is also about making a commitment to God. For me, that commitment was to go to church every Sunday. Confirmation was a part of my commitment in order to receive the blessing from a priest for my quince. In confirmation class, my teacher would scold us, and say that we shouldn’t go at all if we didn’t even pay attention. I’ve been going to confirm for the past year now, and I have a year left.

Youth Day for all young Catholics in confirmation classes is a day to get together and participate in religious activities. You might be asking, “Does that just mean you went to church?” Well, no, because it was a day that was put together by young people. It was a day for them and other speakers to speak to us on God, religion, faith, and I guess all of it. This year the theme was, “You are enough! You belong.” I didn’t like it because it felt so overused. I was tired the entire time but determined to at least be polite and pay attention to the speakers. I did enjoy being there, so I hope that next year I will be able to learn to participate better.

I still wake up everyday choosing my path and decision. And I’m happy that I do. I may not know what or how I want to continue with my faith and religion, but I know that maybe at some point I will know.

Isaac Building with LEGOs

Ever since I was little, I always built LEGOs. They really helped me build a better connection with the people around me and understand myself better.

It was just a normal summer day when my uncle came to drop something off for me. I was six when my Uncle Danny got me my first LEGO set: the Scooby Doo Mystery Machine set. I had never played with LEGOs before, so I was really intrigued to build them. It was a medium green flat box with the picture of a fully built Mystery Machine on the front of the box. I opened it and dumped out all the pieces. I was amazed when all the pieces that came out, only 301, but at the time it seemed like a lot for me.

I didn’t really understand the instruction book yet, so I asked my uncle for help. Through this whole moment of building together, he really showed me how to build the LEGOs step by step, and would tell me about all the sets he had built himself. I really enjoyed this opportunity since it was my first time making something with these small blocks, and it began my interest in them. As time went by, the LEGO sets got harder and harder, but that made me like the challenge to complete them.

Some time ago, I then decided it was time for me to introduce LEGOs to my sister Gemma. She was only six years old when I gave her the first set to build. I sat next to her and guided her on what she had to do. She really

enjoyed building the Panda set. From that time on, it became a routine for me and my sister to build LEGOs every Saturday evening. As time passed, I realized that the bond between me and my sister grew stronger. We both really looked forward to every weekend so we could have our LEGO time!

Now that I am older, I realized that what I started during my childhood has influenced me to pursue the study of architecture. It has made me realize that I have a strong interest in creativity, building, and design. With this being said, I can say that my career journey in architecture will be greatly influenced by the passion for LEGOs that was instilled in me as a child. I want to thank my uncle for giving me the opportunity to have the privilege of introducing me to something that has and will play a significant role in my life as I pursue my career.

Isaac was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. Isaac’s hobbies are building LEGOs and taking care of his fish. He enjoys spending quality time with his family.

The Experience of FC Barcelona

“Més que un club” (more than a club) is the motto of FC Barcelona. It’s not just a football club, it’s a space with a lot of emotion from the fans and history of a playing style that has changed over the years. Being an FC Barcelona fan makes me feel joyful and excited because every time the team plays, I feel suspense with how the players use the ball and make goals.

I became a fan of FC Barcelona because of my dad. When I was a little kid I didn’t really understand the players’ tactics, but I understood that even when they lost they would come back. The 1990s saw the rise of the “Dream Team,” lead by Cruyff as manager. They won the club’s first Champion League in 1992. It was in these times of glory that my dad became a Culér, and I was born into it. The 2000s and 2010s marked Barça’s golden era with Pep Guardiola’s tiki-taka philosophy and stars like Lionel Messi, Xavi, Iniesta, Busquets, Neymar Jr, and Rakitić leading to multiple La Liga and Champions League titles. I remember seeing on TV how the players started from the half field. They would move more towards the goalie, the opponents would pressure, FC would pass and move around the ball to keep the possession, then counter attack by scoring goals. Once I got older and understood the game even more I was able to see how those players were able to win those trophies throughout the years.

Recent years have brought financial struggles to Barça, U.H.

including the departure of Messi. Yet Barça continues to rebuild with young talents like Pedri, Gavi, Pau Cubarsí, Fermín López, Alejandro Balde, and Lamine Yamal. Once the younger players started coming into the team, I felt we would come back to the top and win even more trophies with these young stars. The club remains one of the most beloved teams in the world, with a fan base that stands by its side no matter the circumstances. The resilience of FC Barcelona reflects its deep rooted identity; always fighting to return to the top by playing hard on the field, winning games consistently to stay at the top of the leaderboard, and trying to take the number one spot from any team in the league.

During COVID, it was the lowest time for FC Barcelona, but once they started using their younger players - that’s when the spark came back. It was very exciting to see it, and I felt pride again.

For fans, Barça is more than football. It represents identity, culture, unwavering passion, and a way of life. Every match is an emotional experience. From the thrill of a last minute goal to the heartbreak of a tough defeat. The chants that echo throughout Camp Nou, the Blaugrana colors waving in the stands, and the pride of wearing the jersey all create an unbreakable bond between the club and its supporters. And the club’s rich history creates a sense of belonging that spans generations.

FC Barcelona’s journey is one of triumph, resilience, and deep cultural significance. It is more than just a football club, it is a symbol of passion and unity for millions around the world. Even in my football games, I put it on myself and my teammates to put in as much

effort as Barça players. Its history, values, and emotional connection with fans ensure that no matter what the future holds for this club, Barca will always be “més que un club.”

U.H. is a high school writer that loves to play soccer, exercise and to eat, but also wants to achieve all the goals he has with the goal of making it pro.

Dodgers Day

Eric S.

When I woke up, I was surprised with Dodger tickets from my dad. I remember I was in shock because I had been wanting to go to a game. He had always talked to me about the Dodgers and I grew to like them the more we would talk about them.

Kershaw was pitching at the game we were going to; he had won the Cy Young Award the year before, so I knew I’d be watching the best pitcher in the MLB play right in front of my eyes.

Before we had left our house, my dad told me to bring my glove so that I might be able to catch a foul ball. I ran to my room quickly to grab one of my dad’s gloves. My whole life I’d been watching the Dodgers on TV and hearing my dad talk about them. I was excited I was finally on the way to see my first Dodgers game. The drive felt like forever. All I could think about was how much longer until we’d get there.

When we finally arrived, I was just so eager to get to our seats already but my dad made us take a pit stop for me to get some necessary Dodger gear, where he bought me my first jersey, a Kershaw one. When we got to our seats, I could not wait for the game to start. We were pretty close, right near home plate. Any hit including ground outs, pop flies, or even foul balls were thrilling to me, but it felt like ages for the game to start. When the game had finally started, I was relieved because I didn’t know how

much longer I could wait. Just like in The Sandlot when Smalls would put his hand up in the air, I put my glove up with the hope of catching a foul ball anytime it came near us.

I remember going crazy when the Dodgers hit a two-run bomb. That day Kershaw had a pretty good game. If I remember correctly, I think he gave up under five hits or so. I remember Puig hitting a home run to tie the game 3-3 in the eighth inning. In the ninth inning, the Dodgers ended up getting a run batted in (RBI) and winning the game 4-3. I was so scared they would tag the base runner out at home plate, and everyone was on the edge of their seats thinking he wasn’t fast enough to get the run. Puig slid, and the catcher missed the tag. Everyone got up from their seats, jumping and yelling and I joined in. On the car ride home, my dad and I talked about the game the whole time—every hit, every pitch, who did the best, and who did the worst.

Even though I never caught a foul ball that day, I was still happy just to be there and experience it all with my dad. Once we got home I was tired and just hung out at my house.

Even though I never grew up wanting to play baseball, I’ve always enjoyed spending time with my dad and watching the Dodgers play. My dad always tried to convince me to play baseball competitively since he had played on varsity in high school. He’d encourage me to come to the batting cages with him and would always say he would teach me everything he knows about baseball. But I was never interested in playing, I just preferred watching it because I still had the same

love for it as if I had played it for my whole life. As I’ve gotten older, that love for the game just kept getting stronger. Still, that didn’t mean I had changed my mind about playing baseball. I got all the joy I needed just from watching it with my dad and that was more than enough for me.

Eric S. is a sophomore in high school. He enjoys watching football, basketball, and baseball. He also likes to play basketball.

Gabby Resurgence

Art is something that has existed for millennia. In all human civilization, art has been a core part of society. It is a way for people to express their thoughts, emotions, and ideas. Art has had many different forms and expressions––paintings, sculptures, dance, etc. As art evolves so do we. Different time periods through human existence have been reflected through art. Important figureheads and events in history are captured through painting and sculpture. I try to give as much life to my paintings as possible because I want them to reflect me as a person. I’ve been doing art since I could understand what it was. Art has always been my way of expressing myself and my emotions without ever having to make sense of it. I often experience a feeling of word block both in my head and out loud. The forefront of art is the visuals, conveying a message without the use of words. This helped me a lot with trying to straighten out how I feel during the moment. It let me make sense of my emotions through the entire process, and the final product was the resolution of everything. It would allow me to put my final thoughts to rest.

Painting is only one of the few ways that I have found to express my thoughts. Crochet has become an increasingly popular hobby amongst younger adults and teens.The stereotypical old person hobby has made a striking comeback. For me, it has let me destress and weave my worries through the yarn and make something new. Each project represents a time in my life and how

I dealt with it. The colors and stitching reflect each emotion and the time I’ve spent reflecting. Art will always be a part of me, whether or not I continue to do it, each piece that I’ve already made captures a piece of my soul, piecing it together.

One Piece

Julian

My love for One Piece began about five years ago during quarantine. I had heard many things about it, mostly positive, but there was one flaw. It was over one thousand episodes long. Many people thought that was way too long to watch, but I had nothing better to do during quarantine so I thought “Why not?”

For me, quarantine was the most boring thing ever. Every day it was the same: wake up, go straight to a computer for online school, finish, eat, shower, and play a little bit of Playstation. And to top it all off, I was in a tight little apartment. I had nothing to do, no excitement to my everyday life, until I found this show.

I had no idea that a show that had seemed so innocent and fun had so many dark and messed up themes. Sure, at first glance it seems like a silly pirate show, but as the show keeps going you realize that many of these themes relate to the real world — not the good ones. It tackled many things, such as colonialism, a corrupt world government, enslavement, racial discrimination, and human trafficking. Now, you may be thinking, “This show sounds horrible, why would I watch it?” That’s where the main character Luffy comes into play.

Luffy is a young man who dreams of becoming king of the pirates. To become the king he has to find the legendary treasure, the One Piece. He journeys the seas making friends and slowly begins building his pirate crew. This

crew makes you forget just how cruel their world is. The comedy this show uses is just pure enjoyment. People think of pirates as people who roam the seas and steal goods from small islands and villages, but Luffy’s crew? No. These pirates don’t follow stereotypes. You might think a typical pirate group is very mean and doesn’t care about anyone, but Luffy’s group saves anyone, and all someone has to do is be nice to them.

These pirates save countries. They go island to island discovering new countries that all seem to have the same problem: they all have a horrible leader. But not horrible as in the taxes are too high or they don’t care for the citizens, horrible as in if you disobey them, you will be executed. Now, these are colonial leaders, so the people used to have a great home until the bad pirates came and took their land and forced them to obey their rules. I could go on about this show, but then I’d spoil too much.

This show helped me get through such a horrible point in time—the most boring point in our time, even. At first I just thought it would help me get through this quarantine, but as I progressed through the show and as the episodes got deeper, it made me more aware of our world’s problems. This show has a deep personal connection with me and will probably be my favorite show for a while. I know one thousand episodes seems too long, but if you just give this show a try I can promise you will like it.

Julian is a boy who loves to do many things. His favorites are playing video games and volleyball. He cares a lot for people and is very nice. Although he doesn’t like school, he loves to go to see his friends.

Musically Connected River D.

Music is an amazing way to form connections with loved ones and people you don’t yet know. You may ask, “Why do you say that? Aren’t there better ways to connect?” and of course there’s better ways, but music is easier and usually more connective to people, especially to me. I prefer music to connect to others because music is global, everyone likes music in a specific genre or multiple genres. I love multiple genres I listen to daily, whether it be rock, metal, indie, alternative, angst and all of the above.

Because there’s such a variety in music taste I love using music to connect to my friends, sharing my favorite songs and listening to my friends and family’s favorite songs. Personally I love music that provides a story for me to conjure up while enjoying the beat and vocals. A few artists I listen to on a daily basis are; aWannabe, heffy, thornskin, MOGY, dxrkknght, and GrimLoverz! I like these artists because their style in music is so unique, not something you usually hear with modern music. I share the types of artists and the types of music I’m into with friends and family for connection because I like sharing it. I like sharing the music I like with people I’m close with or want to get closer to. I especially love sharing them with my friends because of how much I enjoy their music. I get a great feeling when my friends or family enjoy the artists and songs I show them because the artist/song are my personal likings and I want them to enjoy the artist/song as much as I do.

Music always makes me feel good, it can always lift a mood up for me or any situation that’s affected me in a positive or negative way. After a long day of school I can be so exhausted and tired, not wanting to do anything because of the lack of energy I have, but putting a more energetic type of music on can put me into a better and energetic mood to get homework or chores done, as well as the energy to talk to my friends and family.

Based on communication, yesterday I was playing a game with my friend Kumo, and we were doing a Spotify jam and I was playing a few of my playlists. Kumo said that she liked a lot of the songs I was playing while we played the game and it made me feel good because she liked the music I was playing. I play music with my friends a lot and it really does make conversations better. A lot of the conversations are about the music and we get to learn more about each other’s tastes in music.

I find it easier to get to know someone when there’s more conversations about music. Even if we aren’t talking about a lot of personal things, talking about music can still reveal a lot about a person.

a cknowledgements

826LA would like to thank the following for their support in making this book project possible:

Keli Arslancan

World History Teacher, Venice High School

Yavonka Hairston-Truitt

Principal, Venice High School

Trevor Crown

Senior Manager of Volunteer Innovation and Assessment

Cole Montgomery

Senior Development Coordinator

Mike Dunbar

Programs & Operations Manager, Mar Vista

Mateo Acosta

Associate Director of Community Engagement

Ashley Paul Volunteer

Sarah Preimesberger Volunteer

James Liddell Volunteer

Stephen Kay Volunteer

Philip Glist Volunteer

Talya Ramirez College Corp Intern

Rejoice Umo College Corp Intern

Arielle Cunanan College Corp Intern

Elvis Vega College Corp Intern

Emily Ponce Intern

Alexa Avila Intern

Gaby Tuna Intern

Adriana Mateo Intern

About 826LA

Vision

826LA envisions a Los Angeles where every child has access to quality writing education and is empowered to express themselves creatively through writing. We envision a Los Angeles where every teacher is supported in their writing-based educational objectives.

Mission

826LA is dedicated to unlocking and cultivating the creative power of writing for students ages 6 to 18, and to helping teachers inspire their students to write.

How we advance our mission: A nonprofit organization, our services are structured around our understanding that great leaps in learning can happen with one-on-one attention, and that strong writing skills are fundamental to future success.

With this in mind, we provide after-school tutoring in all subjects, evening and weekend workshops, in-school programs, field trips, college access, help for English language learners, and assistance with student publications. All of our programs are challenging and enjoyable, and ultimately strengthen each student’s ability to express ideas effectively, creatively, confidently, and in their own voice.

Core Values

826LA values joy in the service of achieving educational goals. Our community norms value diversity, equity, inclusion, and access. We therefore prioritize partnerships with Title 1 Schools, engagement with historically marginalized populations, and training and deploying community-based volunteers in support of our mission. As a teaching approach, we value creativity, authenticity, empathy, and lively, rigorous, and student-centered writing education. As an educational enrichment organization, we value supporting teachers, principals, and other school staff in the pursuit of excellence.

programs

After-School Writing Programs

Mondays through Thursdays, students attend 826LA for after-school writing programs. Students participate in community building activities, work on homework or reading with trained tutors, and of course, write! Students submit their writing for inclusion in chapbooks, which 826LA publishes twice a year. To celebrate students’ hard work, 826LA unveils these chapbooks at book release parties, where students read their work to thunderous applause from their volunteers, families, and peers.

Field Trips

During the week, 826LA invites teachers and their students to our writing labs to participate in a morning of collaboration, creativity, and writing. Whether Storytelling & Bookmaking, Well-Wishing & Poetry, Choose Your Own Adventure, or Memoir, field trips at 826LA support teacher curriculum and student learning by offering a safe space for students to be their most imaginative and to work on their writing skills. In a few short hours, students brainstorm, write, edit their work, and leave with something tangible — a bound book — as well as a renewed confidence in their ability to tell their stories.

In-Schools Programs & Writers’ Rooms

Because not all students can come to us, 826LA brings specially trained volunteer tutors into classrooms throughout Los Angeles. There, volunteers provide one-on-one or small group assistance with writing projects. 826LA works with teachers to craft all projects, which are designed to engage students while targeting curricular needs. In addition to visiting twenty schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District each year, 826LA has additional sites within Manual Arts High School, Roosevelt High School, and Venice High School called The 826LA Writers’ Rooms.

Workshops

826LA’s workshops bring students together with artists, writers, and professionals for creative collaboration. Whether the subject is journalism or preparing for the zombie apocalypse, our workshops foster student creativity while strengthening writing skills. This program includes two long running partnerships with Paramount Pictures and the Hammer Museum.

826LA Staff

Jaime Balboa

Executive Director

Diego Quevedo

Chief of Staff

Shani Foster

Director of Education

Christie Thomas

Director of Development

Pedro Estrada

Programs & Operations Manager, Echo

Park

Mike Dunbar

Programs & Operations Manager, Mar Vista

Mateo Acosta

Associate Director of Community

Engagement

Carinne Kemp

Store and General Operations Manager

Alma Carrillo

Senior Manager of Strategic Partnerships and Communications

Trevor Crown

Senior Manager of Volunteer Innovation and Assessment

Ariadne Makridakis Arroyo

Senior Volunteer Coordinator

Katie Feige

Institutional Giving Manager

Arisdeysi Cruz

Tutoring Program Coordinator

Marco Beltran

Writers’ Room Program Coordinator

Wendy Beltran

Senior Writers’ Room Program Coordinator

Cole Montgomery

Senior Development Coordinator

Ariana Ponce Olivares

Senior Civic Engagement Coordinator

Wilson Swain

Creative Engagement Specialist

Julia Malinow

In-Schools and Tutoring Program Coordinator

Caz Shen

Store Associate

Karen Van Kirk

Board President

Sarah Rosenwald Varet

Board Vice President

David Ullendorff

Board Treasurer

Cisca Brouwer

Development Committee Chair

Board of Directors Advisory Board

J.J. Abrams

Judd Apatow

Miguel Arteta

Mac Barnett

Steve Barr

Joshuah Bearman

Father Gregory Boyle,

S.J.

Amy Brooks

Stefan Bucher

Kathleen Caliento

Monique Demery

Mark Flanagan

Ben Goldhirsh

Ben Au

Jeff Boos

Scott Boxenbaum

Iman Farrior

Joe Ferencz

Scott A. Ginsburg

Susan Ko

Hon. Holly A. Thomas

Dave Eggers, Emiritus

Rebecca Goldman

Ellen Goldsmith-Vein

DeAnna Gravillis

Terri Hernandez Rosales

Christine Jaroush

Spike Jonze

Miranda July

Catherine Keener

Keith Knight

Al Madrigal

R. Scott Mitchell

Lani Monos

B.J. Novak

Miwa Okumura

Amber Paasch

Jane Patterson

Keri Putnam

Sylvie Rabineau

Sonja Rasula

Will Reiser

Luis Rodriguez

Tara Roth

Brad Simpson

J. Ryan Stradal

Natalie Tran

Sarah Vowell

Sally Willcox

Julie Wiskirchen

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Go to 826LA.org/donate and click on Future Bestsellers Club to join.

Shop the Time Travel Mart!

Visit our Time Travel Mart storefronts in Echo Park and Mar Vista where you can shop for all your time traveling gears and gadgets. From Mammoth Chunks to Robot Milk to original student-authored books, we pride ourselves on being the only Los Angeles purveyor of quality goods from the past, present, and future. The proceeds from the store help to keep all programs free for our students.

You can also visit the stores online at timetravelmart.com.

Echo Park 1714 Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90026 Mar Vista 12515 Venice Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90066