high school
Teens Taking Charge Young innovators prove that being a boss has nothing to do with age BY ROSALIND CUMMINGS-YEATES
I
t’s about more than learning how to drive or figuring out what outfit to wear to prom for today’s teens. They are more focused on changing the world. According to a Gallup Student Poll, 77 percent of students in grades five
through 12 want to be their own boss; 45 percent hope to start their own business, and 42 percent plan on inventing something that will change the world. These teens are proving that business savvy can develop at any age:
Kellie Graves
When she was in the seventh grade, Kellie Graves attended her first diversity and inclusion conference. “It was so interesting that I grew a passion for this kind of work. Since then, I’ve attended 15 diversity and inclusion and leadership conferences,” says the 17-year-old leader from
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Pennsylvania. While many middle schoolers were worried about peer acceptance and the latest sneakers, Kellie founded her school’s first diversity group and started working on an app, Bias Buster. “I did a survey for data at my school and found that 97 percent knew what diversity was,
but only 57 percent thought it applied to their (lives). I thought I could teach cultural competency through an app,” she says. Bias Buster is targeted to kids and teens and aims to eliminate bias at a young age, before it has a chance to develop. The app will be available to the public soon.
Bias Buster “features topics around cultural identity, gender and equality,” Kellie says. “A big part of bias is awareness and education. If people aren’t aware, they don’t know that they’re being biased. This app will help create cultural competency and awareness.”
A.J. GRAHAM; GETTY IMAGES
Spreading Diversity Awareness