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A Note Fr om the Editor s: Season?s Gr eet in gs! As w e en t er in t o t h e h oliday season , f or ou r pu blicat ion's secon d year in a r ow w e celebr at e ou r f u t u r e w it h a k ids f ash ion edit ion . Alt h ou gh som e of u s m ay h ave exper ien ced a ch allen gin g year in 2016, ou r n ext gen er at ion exem plif ies t h e ch ar act er ist ics of in spir at ion an d det er m in at ion . Th is m agazin e issu e is a r em in der t h at all h ope is n ot lost . In t h is issu e, you n g ar t ist s, en t r epr en eu r s, act or s an d m odels af f or d u s w it h an oppor t u n it y t o discover t h eir per son alit ies, in spir at ion s, an d aspir at ion s. Also, w e w ill divu lge in t o t h e in t r icacies associat ed w it h t h e n ew gen er at ion of celebr it ies su ch as Willow Sm it h , Jaden Sm it h , an d Br ook e Hu m m el. We w ill get a glan ce in t o w h at lif e m ay look lik e f or ou r you t h 20 year s f r om t oday. If t h is is you r f ir st t im e pick in g u p a Level21 issu e, please u n der st an d t h at w e st an d on ou r com m it m en t t o posit ivit y! It is ou r in t en t ion an d vision t o in spir e ou r r eader s w it h u plif t in g st or ies an d cr eat ive t h em es t h at w ill k eep you w an t in g m or e! We desir e t h at you en joy t h is issu e as m u ch as w e en joyed pu t t in g it t oget h er . Ou r ph ilosoph y an d expect at ion ech oes Soph ia Lor en?s sen t im en t t h at st at es, ?Th er e is a f ou n t ain of you t h : it is you r m in d, you r t alen t s, t h e cr eat ivit y you br in g t o you r lif e an d t h e lives of people you love. Wh en you lear n t o t ap t h is sou r ce, you w ill t r u ly h ave def eat ed age?. We sin cer ely w ish ever yon e a pr osper ou s an d saf e h oliday season . Best w ish es, Tem pest t Har r is, CEO M ar esa Scot t , COO/ Edit or & Ch ief
Photographer: Jami Davis MUA: Ashli Danielle
Meet AubreeDean
By: Desiree Helm Wise beyond her years, 11-year-old North Carolina native Aubree Dean has accomplished something most adults have only dreamed of.
Like most girls her age, Aubree is into fashion, pop music and reading the latest teen book. She loves watching her favorite shows on Disney, and hanging out with her friends on the weekends. To most people, Aubree may seem like the typical preteen girl. However, behind the smiles and ponytails beats the heart of a true business owner. At only 11 years old, Aubree Dean is the founder and owner of Aubree Salads on The Go. Level 21 took some time to learn more about Aubree and her business. You could hear the excitement in her voice as Aubree was eager to share her world with our readers. Not many kids can say they own their own business. What made you want to start one? Aubree: Last spring my school was going on a trip to Washington, DC to attend the Junior National Conference. I really wanted to go, but knew I would need to raise money to pay for it. I had made mason jar salads for my parents before and thought it would be a great idea to sell salads to raise money for the trip. My salads were so good that people asked me to continue making them after the Fund-raiser was over. Tell us about your business. Aubree: We make healthy salads for people to eat on the go. Even though people are busy, you should still be able to eat healthy. Do you like having a business? Aubree: I like it, but sometimes it?s pretty hard. Some days I have to get up early before school to make salads and I don't really like that. But I keep going because I know it takes hard work to make your dreams come true. It must be hard to be a good student and keep up with your business. How do you manage it all? Aubree: My parents really help me. I tell everyone that you have to have the right people supporting you. We make over 80 salads a week and we have 3 varieties that we sell. We even deliver them on Mondays. That takes a lot. My parents help me keep up with everything. I could not do it without them. So out of curiosity, what does a girl your age do with all the money you earn? Aubree: 10% of everything we make gets donated to the Alzheimers Association. My grandmother has Alzheimers and I want to help them find a cure. My mom lets me shop with some of it, but most of it goes towards my college fund. How do you motivate yourself and others when things get hard? Aubree: I can do all things through Christ that strengthens me. I tell myself that all the time. I tell other people that too. I love God and he gives us the power to do anything. And with that profound statement, we learned that Aubree is walking in her purpose and set on success. Besides dreaming of one day being an Olympic Gold swim star, Aubree plans to expand her business so she can help more people have healthy lunch options. She really wants to make a difference in the lives of others. She is part of the next generation of entrepreneurs, leading the way for others kids to become empowered too. You can tell by the glee and giggles in her voice that she truly enjoys being an entrepreneur and is happy with all that is happening in her life. For more information about Aubree Dean or to order a salad you can visit her website at www.aubreesaladsonthego.com
Cel ebr it y Chef
Zac Kar a
By: Shannon Rawley
Cooking wit h ZaCKar a Y
pur suing goal s whil e gr owing up
oung, driven, and innovative master chef, Zac Kara, is only beginning his career at the age of fourteen, and is well on his way to creating a monumental career. As a teen celebrity chef, Kara has begun developing his career and making connections with some of the food industry's best and most talented cooks. His love for cooking began when he was only 11 years old. ?My mom started to teach me and at first I only made scrambled eggs,? said Kara, when asked about the first dish he learned to make. Although his mom is one of the main people who helped him fall in love with food, he lives in a family full of cooks and bakers who mold him into a better chef. Zac had only been cooking for only a year and a half when he went to an open call for "MasterChef " with hundreds of other kids in Phoenix.
Zac told the Orlando Sentinal in an article that the show "Master Chef " truly inspired him stating ?MasterChef Junior " inspired me, and I fell in love with being in the kitchen, I was kind of nervous to be on TV. My sister and mom encouraged me," he added.
four years old. Cooking is a passion that came along surprisingly and evolved into an enjoyable skill. Although Zac has a newfound love for cooking, he hopes to pursue a future career in both playing tennis and being a chef. When asked if he could give any advice to young people pursuing a dream, Zac expressed the importance of diligence and consistency. He talked about how following your dreams is truly what helps you accomplish them. If you never take the initiative to pursue your own goals, how else will you accomplish them?
As of now, Zac has plans to do much bigger and better things. You can follow Kara watched cooking shows to learn his journey to achieving his dreams his craft, he also began taking online through social media @Zac_Kara. Like culinary school to master his many other people his age, Zac uses techniques. social media as a way to connect with his fans and share his story of success. Zac is a teenager with many different Get ready to see more of Zac Kara in talents. Other than cooking, he has a the future, because he?s just getting passion for playing tennis and has been started. involved with the sport since he was
M ek h i Z ah ir L eon- P h ar r M ek h i Zah ir Leon -Ph ar r is an adventurous 9-year-old who has a variety of interests. His curiosity for life?s offerings is not limited to one specific field of study. Also, his artistic side is reflected in his delight for dancing. His favorite subject is math, which will be quite the advantage since he aspires to be an architect. He even has a culinary interest that he would like to express as a world class chef! Mekhi has a backup plan; in case those careers do not pan out, he would like to become a model. Photography: Todd Youngblood MUA: Monique Stevens
"I want everyone that is being bullied to know they are not alone. I want them to know they are loved, they are strong and that they are worthy of whatever dream they have. Until I went through it, I had no idea how bad bullying really was. I am not happy that I was bullied, but I know that I can use my experience to not just help others but hopefully prevent others from being bullied in the first place."
involved in her church and even makes time to teach yoga on the beach. It is clear that Brooke has turned a corner. Her new EP "The Brook Hummel EP" is a large source of the joy that has returned to her life. The featured new single "Cruel" was written by Brooke along with writer/producer D-Major to bring awareness to the emotional problems many teens face as a result of bullying and people are beginning to take notice. It's emotional lyrics and poignant video add to the strength of her voice and the message she wants relayed to the world; that everyone deserves to be loved and that no one deserves to be bullied.
Determined not to dwell on the pains of the past, the enthusiasm in Brooke's voice returns as the conversation shifts to her life now and her new EP. In addition to touring, writing and
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I want ev er yone t hat is being bul l ied t o know t hey ar e not al one.
Gaining over 2 million plays on Soundcloud in over a month, Brooke's music is receiving great feedback from her fans and music bloggers around the country. With over 124k Twitter followers and 13k followers on Instagram, it's hard for Brooke's talent to go unnoticed. The new EP is the story of Brooke's life. More specifically it's lyrics tell the tale of the summer of youth. All the songs reflect either something that has happened in her summer of "16" or things she felt in that moment. Whether it's an upbeat dance track or emotional ballad Brooke's EP has something for everyone; old, young and in between. With her rising fame, Brooke has managed to stay grounded by staying true to her faith and being appreciative for the blessings she has received with her music. My family and my team are good for
keeping me in check. I expect them to hold me accountable, to be the best I can be every day. Whether good or bad, whether I am feeling sad or happy I want to keep things real. I want to always be real with my music. I want people to always see the real me so they can relate to my music. I love my music and what I am doing. Recently I was at a youth event for the ?Stop Block Tell? campaign. We were visiting a school when I was asked to perform my song Cruel. I looked out at my audience and noticed some girls singing along. I could not believe that they knew the words to my song. I felt like I was making an impact. That was when I realized that this was what I should be doing with the rest of my life. I want every teen, especially young girls, to know how valuable they are. I want them to know that they can fight insecurity and that they don?t have to believe the things that every other
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people say about them. I want to use my music to help others learn to love themselves.? Loving the road life, Brooke is always on the go. She is currently on tour with the ?Stop Block Tell? campaign and you can find Brooke either speaking at a youth event or volunteering in the community. Still finding time to do what she loves best, work on her music. She is currently in the process of recording covers and has taken on writing all the songs for her next album. Wise beyond her years and equipped with a heart to serve, Brooke is proving that the next generation of musicians are determined to make a positive impact on the world. For more information on Brooke Hummel you can follow her on Twitter @BrookeBNR or on Instagram @BNRBrookeHummel. Keep up with Brooke! Cruel music video- bit.ly/CruelMV Cruisin music video- bit.ly/BrookeCruisin