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About the Contributors
The following authors and artists contributed their work to Teen Ink Love and Relationships.
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Rachel Anderson is a freshman in college majoring in Visual Arts and Communications. In high school, she kept herself busy serving as President of the Art Club, treasurer of the Student Government, and a member of the Student Advisory Council to her state's Board of Education. Rachel's poignant piece was originally published in Teen Ink magazine during her senior year. She would like to thank her family for making her life as wonderful as possible, and sends a special thank you out to her mom for doing such a good job.
Denise Ankel moved to the United States from Germany this year, entering high school as a sophomore. She says her favorite memory is her first day at an American high school when she met many new people and saw what they were like. She loves to play the drums and hang out, doing nothing in particular, with her new friends. This is the first photograph Denise has ever had published - she didn't know a thing about photography until she came here. She would like to thank her friend at school who encouraged her to take her first photo class.
Elizabeth Antle is a freshman in college majoring in English, though her moving story about a renegade friend first appeared in Teen Ink magazine when she was a senior in high school. In addition to her English skills, Liz is also known for her wacky adventures in baby-sitting. A recent experience involved an unexpected birthday party and a broken dining-room table, but luckily Liz handled the situation with grace and ease. When not fending off baby-sitting disasters, Liz can be found writing or painting, her two favorite things. She would like to thank her mother for always supporting her writing.
Jeff Antonucci is a junior in high school where he enjoys taking photography. This interesting silhouette of two friends was snapped as a moment that expressed emotion. Jeff loves sailing, snowboarding, hiking and just plain staying active, although he's not a team sport player. He's also into lots of music including reggae, classic rock and especially Bob Marley!
Lauren Sue Asperschlager wrote her piece about her quirky music teacher as a junior in high school, where she was a National Merit Scholar Finalist. Now a senior in college, Lauren still enjoys playing the trumpet in several musical ensembles. In addition, she is an active member of her church and the Salvation Army. Lauren emphasizes that "every day of my life is a wonderful gift from God that must never be taken for granted."
Daniel Bailey enjoys playing the piano and the guitar, reading, and just about any athletic activity, especially football. His poem was originally published in Teen Ink magazine at the end of his high school career, and now Daniel is a sophomore in college double majoring in secondary education/physics and English. He hopes to be a teacher or a principal one day, as well as a writer. Daniel is currently working on his first children's book.
Patrick Michael Baird took his photo using a Canon Rebel G as a senior in high school. Now a college sophomore studying photography and psychology, most of his time and energy go into his school projects and photography. In his spare time he likes to visit galleries and museums and enjoy the city nightlife. Patrick thanks his former photography teacher, Ms. Demetrious, for being a huge inspiration, as well as all his friends and especially his family for all their support, guidance and love.
Alexis Bargelski lived with her family in Seoul, Korea for six years. During that time, she had the privilege of traveling all over Asia and knows that her experience abroad will always have a huge impact on her life. While she wrote her piece about her adopted sister as a senior in high school, Alexis is now in college pursuing a degree in business administration. She would like to thank her sister Tessa, her parents, and Mrs. Lowell for encouraging her to submit her story for publication.
Marc R. Baron graduated from college with a degree in political science and a minor in English. He loves poetry and progressive politics and has a charming four-year-old son who is the love of his life. Marc saw this portrait of a very special day with his dad published in Teen Ink when he was a junior in high school.
Alexandra Berger is loving her sophomore year in college. She's meeting wonderful, colorful people, taking classes, and trying to travel around as much as possible. She hasn't gotten too involved on campus yet, aside from the music scene, but she's working on it. Her moving piece originally ran in Teen Ink when she was a sophomore in high school. Alexandra would like to send a thank you out "to anybody who's changed my mind."
Sierra Black is now a professional freelance writer, but she'll never forget seeing her work in print for the first time in Teen Ink magazine when she was 17 years old. She has won several awards and received recognition for her short stories and poems. She graduated from college as a writing major, and is currently working toward her M.F.A. Besides the written word, Sierra has two other loves: travel and her two cats.
Kelli Bollin took her close-up of this woodpile in her backyard as part of her photography class last year. Sending it to Teen Ink was part of her final exam, where she saw it published. Now in high school, she plans to continue her interest in photography, but is currently focusing her artistic energies on oil pastel and drawing and particularly enjoys capturing people in her artwork.
Kristen Bonacorso took her photo as a junior in high school. Now in her third year of college, she enjoys hanging out with her friends and "could spend hours looking at photographs." She is a big fan of Ansel Adams and especially appreciates black and white photography and the use of contrasting textures. After eating only grilled cheese and french toast for seven years, Kristen has learned to love food and appreciate it as an art itself. She also loves the beach and going for drives to enjoy the ocean scenery.
Sara Booth took her shot of the two pensive teens after a long night at the prom, and gave each a print as a remembrance. She now works in an art gallery for children and has even had her own photography show of shots taken in Spain that she has visited. She loves art, writing, reading and skiing!
Julie Nicole Boucher wrote her piece when she was still in high school dealing with a recent move from her childhood home. She has since graduated from college, initially wanting to be a journalist, but was so inspired by those who helped her grandfather during his struggle trying to communicate following a stroke, she has been studying for her masters in speech pathology. Julie would like to dedicate her piece to Maryanne Marmi, a special teacher who showed her the power of the written word and her parents, who showed her the resiliency of the human heart and unconditional love and support.
Hadley Breed has seen many of her photographs published in Teen Ink during her high school career. These two decorated females appeared earlier this year. In addition to photography, Hads swims and plays lacrosse for her high school and is a ski instructor! She would like to thank her photography teacher, for without him she wouldn't be in this book!
Danielle Brown adores all kinds of photography and took this shot of her two sisters recently. A senior, she plans to continue her study of photography in college, especially enjoying the work of photojournalist Dorothea Lange. Danielle, who works after school, also likes to write and plays the violin in her high school orchestra.
Matt Bullock is just finishing middle school where he shot this interesting perspective of a highway through a fence and actually entered it in a contest! He likes photography and thinks he will continue in high school. He really enjoys skating and playing baseball. Matt's photo appeared in Teen Ink last fall.
Elizabeth Cashman is a crazy, fun person who loves to take pictures. A sophomore in college, she shot this pensive shot in high school and wants to thank Jeffie for being such a cutie-pie and therefore making her able to take wonderful photographs!
Ena Chang wrote this fictionalized piece about asking that guy to the prom back when she was still in high school. She has since graduated from college and now lives with her Sharpei, Simon.
Jenn Christian has been published a number of times in Teen Ink. She loves shooting photographs and was experimenting with different light sources when she shot this photo of her sister using a strobe light in a dark room. Jenn is also very active in sports, playing softball and field hockey as a junior in high school. She also is quite involved with her school's Model UN and hopes to someday go into politics.
Katherine Cincotta is a senior in high school. In addition to writing, she enjoys playing soccer and pitching for her school's varsity softball team. She loves art and takes classes in drawing and painting outside of school. Katherine wrote her poem during her junior year. She hopes to go to a liberal arts college to pursue teaching or writing.
Martha Collins loves to write, and she is also very involved in her community. She works at a local animal clinic and hopes to become a veterinarian someday. She's also a cheerleader and the winner of her local beauty/talent pageant. Martha, now a sophomore, wrote the story of her adoption last year. She would like to thank her parents for bringing her into their lives and standing by her through all the rough times they have shared.
Brooke Cooper, originally from England, is one of six children. Her favorite memories range from desperately wanting to be Tina Turner at age three to backpacking through Europe later in life. In her spare time, she enjoys rifle shooting at clay pigeons. Brooke's nostalgic poem about friendship was first published in Teen Ink when she was a junior in high school. Now in college majoring in education and minoring in religion, she hopes one day to go on a mission to Russia to teach.
Emily J. Copeman began writing her own column in her town's newspaper when she was 11. She continues to love to write and read and hopes to pursue a career in journalism. She is graduating from high school this year where she has been active in drama and loves working for the fine arts department. Last year, shortly after "Jack" was published in Teen Ink, she and Jack decided to take a break, but still remain very close friends, talking almost every day. Emily believes they will remain a part of each other's lives forever.
Lea Ann Coreau remembers there was a big winter storm during her junior year in high school when she was inspired to shoot her photo, using her Minolta 400SI camera. Now a college sophomore studying graphic arts and photography, she is a member of the ASPCA and humane society. In her free time she enjoys spending time with her family's dog and three cats and hanging out with her friends. Her dream job is to take pictures for National Geographic or Rolling Stone magazine one day. Lea Ann thanks her high-school photography teachers, Ed Warner and Joseph DeRuvo Jr., and her best friends and fellow photographers, Pam Torok (whose photo appears in this book!) and Sarah Christensen.
Nicole C. Corvey recently wrote this poignant poem about her grandfather. A sophomore in high school she is active in many clubs and will soon be on the track team. She volunteers at a local humane society where she loves to play with all the puppies and kittens. She has always wanted to write something to her grandfather, and dedicates the poem to him.
Lindsey E. Cronin was into lots of activities in high school: soccer, golf, student council, orchestra and work, as evidenced by her moving piece published in Teen Ink when she was a senior in high school. Loving her first year at college, she plans to double major in English and literature and keeps busy with intramural lacrosse, orchestra (to give her that necessary music fix) and a service organization where she is putting together a project to support divorced parents in helping their children adjust. Lindsay would love to dedicate her piece to Norman
Susan DeBiasio has fond memories of being published back in high school, when she was a prolific writer. Published in Teen Ink when she was a senior, "To Be Old Like Uma" depicts the reality that older folks are actually freed of many of the daily stresses and reduced to the simplistic perceptions of a child. Her other poem, "Gram," describes her precious grandmother. Unfortunately she finds little time to write now since she is a full-time web designer, which she loves, but has a long commute to work. She does enjoy painting, and has four ferrets for roommates: Cathy, Ralph, Daisy and Alice.
Laura Dickinson writes all the time - she thinks it's a great outlet for her emotions. She maintains a website featuring her work that she updates daily. Her poem originally appeared in Teen Ink magazine when she was a senior in high school. Now Laura is in college majoring in English and minoring in music and drama. She dedicates her poem to her high school teachers: "You have been my support for so long, and you are still behind me, and that fact gives me constant strength."
Dan Durbin is currently a senior in high school. His poignant piece about fitting in was published in Teen Ink just this past fall. In addition to writing, he enjoys playing many sports including football, baseball and tennis. Dan is also really into music and loves to sing and play the guitar in his spare time. Dan would like to thank Mrs. Pearson for encouraging him to write and all his friends and family for supporting him in everything he does.
Susie A. Eldred wrote her piece about interracial relationships as a senior in high school where she was also the senior editor of her school newspaper. Loving college, Susan is majoring in anthropology and minoring in English and art. In her free time, she is busy singing with her band, Honey Bee, and working with a professor on a website that deals with regional religious centers.
Nicole Flannery penned this moving poem as a senior in high school when it appeared in Teen Ink. Involved in drama and the yearbook, Nicole was also a peer helper. After high school, she joined the Army for a four-year stint, traveling to Korea and the Middle East. She now works for a telecommunications company and recently had a son. She and Alexander's father love to go to sporting events, museums and theatre.
Kenneth L. Flewelling has kept the creative juices flowing since his poem was originally published in the magazine during his senior year of high school. Graduating from college with a major in media arts, he went on to work in TV and theater while making independent documentaries on the side. You may even have seen some of his work: his American Red Cross 50th anniversary spot ran during last year's Super Bowl. Right now, he is working on a documentary about rural Maine communities.
J. A. Gaeta, or Jeff to his friends, will graduate from college in 2002 with a degree in civil engineering. He extends a special thank-you to Melikka and Paul Perron, Julie Gaeta, and Kerri-Anne Logan: "I love you very much."
Amybeth Gardner loves the music of Elton John and was recently able to show him her appreciation by giving him flowers at a concert. When she's not interacting with celebrities, she may be found taking a writing workshop or working on a research team, perhaps looking into the eating patterns of various college populations. Amybeth also loves to run, especially in the rain. Her pieces, the poignant portrait of her beloved teacher and amazing connection to Carly Simon were originally published in Teen Ink magazine during her senior year of high school.
Alex Golub-Sass is finishing his junior year of high school, and recently took this shot of his older sister and her boyfriend. He enjoys shooting landscapes and credits Ansel Adams as his inspiration. He is a lacrosse player, and also participates in the math team at his school.
Jessica Gonzalez is an active freshman in college who enjoys dancing ballet, running, rollerblading and shopping. She is majoring in broadcast journalism and one day she hopes to be a television news anchor. Jessica works at a coffee shop, which explains why she is addicted to caffeine, and on weekends she keeps the animals happy at the Humane Society. She loves the Charles Swindoll quote, which she tries to live by: "Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it." Her piece was originally published in Teen Ink magazine when she was a high school senior.
Noah Gordon is an avid social activist and musician. He is in two bands - one that plays experimental folk and the other with a punk/ska edge - and publishes a magazine devoted to encouraging tolerance and unity between races, genders, social classes and sexual identities. His atmospheric work about chess in Washington Square first appeared in Teen Ink when Noah was a sophomore in high school.
Jamie Graham loves observing: people, animals, nature. This is the root of her inspiration to write. She is sure she will be a park bench in her next life. She recently wrote her stirring piece about her father. Although she is still struggling to connect with him, she has hopes that things will improve. A senior in high school, Jamie wants to send thanks to a very special teacher, Gail Dewiller, for her constant support and advice.
Amanda R. Grier loves to travel and meet people with different perspectives. She recently returned from a college semester in Japan, and after she graduates this year, will be packing her bags for a year or two of public service abroad. Amanda's piece insightful piece was published in Teen Ink magazine during her senior year of high school. She says, "I never give enough thanks for my best friend and role model, Jesus Christ. Thank you for never giving up on me and always showing me amazing discoveries about the world. Also, thanks to Scott who everyday is more like Christ."
Christopher Gubelmann loves the outdoors - give him a trail to hike, a pole to fish with, a tent to camp in, or a dirt bike to ride and he's one happy high school senior. He also enjoys leading his church youth group and playing lacrosse for his school. Chris hopes to use his love of drawing in a future career as a graphic designer for clothing or possibly as an architect. He thanks God, his parents, Rebels Six and the Highlands Crew, Mr. Kavanah and his school, and anyone who has appreciated his work and encouraged him to write.
Nicole M. Gulla is a sophomore in college where she is majoring in art and computer science. She took this arresting photo of a young girl in braces as a senior in high school when it was published in Teen Ink magazine.
Ryan Healy is a junior in high school where he enjoys playing basketball and softball. Living near the seashore, this photo was a natural subject for Ryan who enjoys taking photography classes in school. During the vacations he loves travelling to California and Maine. He'd like to dedicate his shot to his photography teacher, who taught him all he knows!
Mallory Ho, or "Mal" to her buddies, loves to dance. Now in her senior year of high school, she has been on the drill/flag/dance team since freshman year, and this is her second year as team captain. If she's not dancing, look for her at the YMCA with her all-girls service/social club, probably sipping green tea and having ice cream, which she says she can eat almost any time of the day. Mal thanks her sophomore English teacher, Mrs. Robin Solid, for encouraging her to submit her lovely poem about friendship to Teen Ink magazine.
Destie Hohman worked her way through college doing everything from waiting tables, tutoring inner-city kids and being a lab technician for a pottery lab. She majored in international politics and pottery, quite a combo! And just passed her physical on her way to being an intelligence officer in the Marine Corps. In high school, when her amusing portrait of her mother's cooking was published in Teen Ink, she was into everything. She said it's amazing she found time to write with her involvement in band, drama, dance, chorus and student government, as well as working. She likes being busy!
Anna Isaacson dedicates her story to Rose Vago Magyar, her great-grandmother. She is currently a sophomore in high school and loves music and sports. She sings, plays the piano, the flute, the guitar, enjoys skiing, field hockey and lacrosse. Although, right now, she wants to be a doctor or a teacher, but, regardless of her career, she hopes to do something interesting and useful during her life.
Ed Jaffe has had many of his photographs published in Teen Ink during the last few years. This shot of a busy intersection was taken when he was testing out how slowing his shutter speed would blur one of the cars. He works for a commercial photographer, although he's not sure if this will be his life's work. He's plays the tenor sax in the jazz band, and loves to act and direct. He also skis and is a lifeguard; he's one busy person.
Adam Janko graduated from high school a few years ago and works as a manager of a sporting- goods store as well as helping coach the high-school wrestling team. He continues to enjoy photography, taking his close-up of these musical instruments while still in high school. Engaged to be married, he loves to cook, mountain bike and road bike in his spare time.
Dyani Jensen's photo of four smiling teens was originally published in Teen Ink magazine when she was a senior in high school. These days she is studying industrial engineering. In her spare time, Dyani enjoys stamping, scrapbooking, and reading. She is something of a people person, too: she loves to spend time with her two children and to meet new people.
Lisa Kelly is on the Academic Decathlon Team, works on her school newspaper and plays softball and soccer. She enjoys skiing and waterskiing with her friends and family. A senior in high school, Lisa is active in her church and is a CCD assistant. She would like to thank her family and her "eleven" for all their help and support. She would like to dedicate her funny, insightful story to Kate F. and in memory of Don Juan.
Lena Koroleva is a sophomore in high school. She is a member of the Model U.N. and has been involved with the crew for school musical performances. In her free time she enjoys photography, playing piano and tennis, and traveling and meeting people. (She recently completed a two-week trip to Paris!) She also loves to dance and recently started taking hip hop dance classes. Lena's photo appeared in Teen Ink magazine last year. To her parents she says, "Thank you and I love you."
Michele Kulis was in her junior-year Spanish class when she realized she had forgotten to bring her completed roll of film for a photography assignment that was due the following period. She quickly shot another roll of film using her fellow classmates as models (thanks to her Spanish teacher who was "a great sport"). Michele is now attending college and studying her other love: computer science. In her free time she enjoys going to the movies and taking lots of pictures of her daughter, Sarah.
Erik DeRosa Lattimore finally did get his license after several tries! His hilarious piece was published in Teen Ink a couple of years ago when he was a sophomore in high school. He really loves to ski and is currently editor of his school yearbook, which entails a lot of responsibility. He has a real talent for the computer, trouble-shooting to earn a few dollars, and he plans to pursue computer science in college.
Jesse Legon started taking photography when he was in high school and discovered he really liked it, taking pictures at sporting events. He loves action photography, and always tries to capture the moment. He took this chess player in Washington Square Park in Manhattan while he was observing the players. He is a huge sports fan and plays soccer and tennis.
Farrah Lehman wrote her piece while still in high school, and it was the first of many short stories she has written. Farrah, majoring in creative writing, saw one of her plays take life on stage in a major production. While still in college she finished her first book of short stories, Blueberry Bridesmaids, which was published in July 2001. She wishes to thank her high school English teacher.
Jasmin Lehmann is Swiss and was staying with an American host family last year when she shot this tree in the snow just before sunset on a clear winter day. Jasmin said, "There was a very special atmosphere and I wanted to catch it with my camera." She loved photography from the first moment she started and would like to thank her photography teacher, Mrs. Lowe, and her host family who is her second family now.
Margot Leifer wrote about this difficult relationship with her friend as a senior in high school. Into a number of clubs, her real love was theatre, especially musicals. Margot performed in a number of shows in high school as well as doing some community theatre productions of Neil Simon's plays. Now a junior in college, she has settled on studying accounting, realizing that theatre wasn't a practical career. She is active in her sorority where she is philanthropy chair, and still does some writing.
Chelsea Lettieri, now a freshman in college, has loved to write ever since she was a little girl. This particular poem, an insightful tale about a car ride with her crush, was published in Teen Ink magazine when she was a sophomore in high school. Chelsea also enjoys playing softball and swimming, and she always makes time to spend with her family and friends.
Jason Li is graduating from high school this year and plans to study computer science in college. His heartfelt piece about his uncle appeared in Teen Ink last year. Jason, very active in his church, especially enjoys playing basketball there and says that even though he is quite short, he makes up for his height with his speed. He would very much like to return to Fujhen where his uncle still lives.
Kendra Lider-Johnson began her first novel in fourth grade, and never stopped writing. Another piece by Kendra, "The Longest Hallway," appeared in Teen Ink 2: More Voices, More Visions. She was deeply involved in both her high school and college literary magazines, and turned her love for words to her new career in the publishing industry. She found a new perspective on writing and literature through Toni Morrison's The Bluest Eye and Virginia Woolf's To the Lighthouse.
Esther Ling spent this past year studying in Japan as part of her senior year of high school. Her major interests include music and sports. She enjoys playing the guitar and piano, but singing has been a part of her life for as long as she can remember. She has played basketball since her brother taught her in elementary school. In Japan, Esther also joined the Kyudo Club, which is traditional Japanese archery. She is very interested in Asian languages and culture, and in college wants to study Japanese, Mandarin, Korean, International Business and English writing. Published in Teen Ink a couple of years ago, she dedicates her short story to her mom who has shown her the joy that can come from putting words on paper.
Linda Liu has always been an avid reader and writer, working on her college newspaper as arts editor, critiquing films. Now she's decided to pursue her Ph.D. so she can become a English professor. In high school she was just beginning to discover contemporary poetry, helping her formulate these two insightful gems that appeared in Teen Ink. She also had a zeal for track and field as well as cross country. She's always been interested in writing, even though she hasn't written poetry for a while, and recently focused on creative nonfiction and criticism.
Amanda J. Luzar took this photograph during her junior year of high school. She recently graduated and begins college in the fall. Amanda was born in Germany and lived in Singapore for some time before moving to America three years ago. She would like to thank her model in the photo, Lisa, and her dog, Gypsie.
Alex Marquez took this shot of a pensive young woman a few years ago when he was in high school. He just completed college where he became licensed to be a marine technician. He loves football and was captain of his team that went to the Super Bowl and was undefeated! He was selected as best defensive player and an all-star. He was also a wrestler, coming in fifth in the state.
Sandy Medeiros has continued her interest in photography, majroing in film/video and animation in college. Her interesting shot was published in Teen Ink when she was a senior in high school.
Yaniris Mejia, called Lily by her friends, recently enjoyed several exciting changes in her life - she began her first year of college, moved to a new state, and got married! At college she is pursuing a degree in communications. Her heartwarming photo of a couple at a swing was originally published in Teen Ink magazine when she was a senior in high school. Lily thanks the Boston Photo Collaborative for three years of wonderful photography experience, and she thanks Teen Ink for sharing her work with others.
Shannon P. Miller, after receiving a degree in elementary education and teaching for a year, decided that teaching wasn't for her after all. She took some time off and discovered a love for the newspaper world! She now does layout and production for a small newspaper and has a chance to write, which she really enjoys. Her realistic short story was published by Teen Ink when she was a senior in high school after she had a dream about this "guy" who was actually a hockey player for the Bruins whom she had always "admired from afar."
Summer A. Miller took this photo with her very first roll of film as a sophomore in high school where her love for photography began. This shot was trying something with a bit of depth and perhaps a romantic feel to it using an old Pentax K100 which she still cherishes. After high school she studied photography in Paris for a while and still shoots a roll now and then. But interior design is her new love, although she's definitely interested in film. She credits her amazing photography teacher, Greg Strom: "He allowed me the freedom with my photographic endeavors that I really needed. Thanks, Strommy!" And thanks everyone who supported her photographic endeavors: her family, the Cushmans, and especially Ian.
Rachel Mitchem takes after her mother in that she loves to act and dance. Someday she hopes to make a career of these talents. In any case, she can use her dancing skills to follow in her mother's footsteps that Rachel describes in her day-in-the-life tale. Rachel says that she would like to thank her mother and brother for giving her so much fun and excitement in the early morning hours, and for giving her so much to write about.
Shari Moore wrote her tender portrait of her brother while still a sophomore in high school. Shari keeps very busy with school activities (student government, marching band, and ski club, to name a few) and is looking forward to studying pre-law in college as she prepares for a career in corporate law. Even though she juggles her schoolwork, many extra-curriculars and a job, she loves to spend time with all of her best friends and thanks all of them for making her sixteenth birthday a great one.
Mark J. Murphy, now a high school junior, is a young romantic who loves to love. He says Katelyn, the girl of his story, still holds a piece of his heart even though they have grown apart. His new girlfriend, Kristen, is his "earth angel" and he loves everything about her. Mark also enjoys adventure and the finer things in life. If he had to describe himself he would say he is "passionate" or "idealistic." Mark believes that "the time we have on Earth should be enjoyed, every moment should be taken advantage of. I try to make every day better than yesterday and the next day even better." He dedicates his piece to everyone who has supported him in following his dreams, and to a very special woman, Mrs. Marie Kane, for all her love and guidance.
Beth Anne Nadeau wrote her nostalgic poem during her senior year in high school. She has since graduated from college where she studied creative writing and rhetoric and was a member of the National English Honor Society. In November 1999, her mother was in a car accident that left her in a coma for 15 days. For her senior thesis, Beth and her mother collaborated on a book recounting her mother's experiences while comatose and through her recovery.
Emily Newick recently graduated from college where she majored in Latin American studies and minored in geography. Emily wrote this insightful portrait of her grandmother a number of years ago and it was published in Teen Ink when she was a junior in high school. She dedicates it to her grandmother who is still living today at the age of 91.
George L. Newton III, published in Teen Ink magazine his senior year of high school, says that every day his heart grows stronger with the love he gives and receives. Now a college senior pursuing an English major, he still writes in every spare second, trying to trap his thoughts on paper before they disappear. He admits that he is scared but hopeful with his chances to make the world a better place. George would like to remind us that "love is the greatest gift you can give."
Scott Nichols succeeded, despite the abuse that he movingly depicted in his poem written while a senior in high school. Now a college junior majoring in business, Noah plans to go on to law school and study sports and entertainment law. He is an avid sports fan (especially of basketball), and loves children. He is also a college representative for a major music company.
Astride Noel just started taking photographs last year, but loves it. She is also into theatre, mock trial and even works part-time. A busy junior, Astride also loves to write, especially poetry. One of hers appeared in Teen Ink this past year. This photo was taken of her sister and her little girl when Astride asked them to "hug."
Shana Onigman graduated from college this spring with a degree in theatre and music. She enjoys road biking, swimming, hiking, swimming, playing the violin and participating in all aspect of theatre. Shana was published many times in high school and wrote her essay during her senior year. She described the first time she was published in Teen Ink magazine with a line from a James Taylor song: "The sky opened and the earth shook."
Cynthia Oquendo, so eloquent in her story about a long-lost friend, says that sometimes she is so quiet she can't hear herself. Writing, acting in school musicals, and dancing alone in her room are her expressive answers to the subdued characteristics that earned her the nickname "Stoneface." A senior in high school, Cynthia is getting in touch with her Puerto Rican heritage by "trying desperately to pin down the Spanish language," and she plans to cultivate her creative side as a writer/artist/actress, moonlighting as a waitress. She dedicates her story to Mr. Cherry.
Urszula Paliwoda is now studying graphic design and physiology and neurobiology in college where she is incredibly busy helping plan homecoming and major concerts. She was able to travel back to her homeland Poland with her mother and brother last summer as well as teaching web design to young people. Her depiction of Ann was published in Teen Ink when she was a junior in high school.
Sara Elise Panzner remembers she and her friends were just "having fun and trying different things" when she took her photo as a senior in high school. Now a college sophomore studying communications and sociology, she hopes to work in the fashion industry someday. In her free time she enjoys dancing, shopping and hanging out with her friends. She also loves to travel, especially "anywhere warm and populated." Sara thanks her photography teacher and her friends who had so much fun posing for her.
Lynda Park loves to play piano and relaxes by taking long walks in cool weather. She once taught a third-grade class in an inner-city school in high school, which inspired her to want to teach once she graduates from college. Her piece appeared in Teen Ink magazine when she was a sophomore in high school, and she thanks her mom, dad, Unni and her grandma.
Lindsay R. Pattison is graduating from high school this year and is determined to become a surgeon, which she's been determined to do for years. She volunteers at a hospital and frequently shadows an anesthesiologist. Her brave piece, published last year, verbalized for her a challenging stage most teens experience. She's glad she's gained strength from it and applied it to other tough decisions she's faced. She is active in her church and was in charge of a mentoring program for middle school girls called, appropriately, Girl2Girl.
David Pease keeps himself very busy with high school (he's number two in his class), student council, and sports (primarily track and soccer). David wants to graduate from college and then explore the world, although he thinks he'll probably have different dreams every few weeks. He shared the room in his poem with his brother Ben, whom he would like to thank for inspiring him.
Adrienne A. Perry remembers how wonderful she felt when her moving story of facing tragedy was first published in Teen Ink magazine. She has gone on to become a technical writer at a software development firm. In the little free time she has, she likes to read and hike with her pet poodle, Noodle. Adrienne thanks her "partner in crime," Jessy, for keeping her interested in writing, and dedicates her work to her fiancé (her high school sweetheart) who inspired her writing.
Jenny Pirkle likes working with language - now in college, she is working toward an English major with an emphasis in writing and a minor in French. In high school, she served as the French club secretary, and this slice of life piece was published in Teen Ink magazine when she was a senior. Jenny also enjoys acting, and performed in, or done technical work for every play performed during her high school career. She continues to work backstage for her college's theater. Though she never knew his name and never saw him again, Jenny dedicates this piece to the subject of her story, the "strange-looking boy."
Dwayne J. Price wrote his loving portrait of his aunt, Anna Louise Maurer, last year, as a sophomore in high school. He has a passion for music, playing flute in his high school band and singing both in choir and in a Christian rock band called "Lost No More." DJ is also a camp counselor and is very active in his church. He thanks God for all the talents bestowed on him.
Beth Bednarz Pruski originally wrote her piece about her mother as a senior in high school, and now Beth is married and has a 2-year-old daughter. She began her professional career as a volunteer staff nurse at a medical shelter for the homeless and currently works as a nurse specializing in cardiac surgery. Although her story reflects some of the more difficult aspects of their relationship, Beth is now full of love, admiration, and appreciation for her mom.
Beth M. Putnam skis, plays tennis, reads, and enjoys spending time with her family and friends. She's also an explorer who loves to meet new people and visit new places. She wrote her poem as a freshman in high school and has recently started college, with a major in Speech Pathology. Beth thanks Train-mate Jack himself, for inspiring her poem, and her wonderful parents.
Liz Qually graduated from college with a major in political science and economics before giving stand-up comedy a try. She surfs, plays tennis, skateboards, and devotes a great deal of time to social causes - from Amnesty International to the East Timor Action Network. Her "Breezy" story was published in Teen Ink while she was a junior in high school, and she thanks her English teacher, Ms. Hoogheem, for all of her support.
Heather Quinn graduated from college with a degree in psychology and minor in education. She is pursuing her master's in education and teaching preschool part-time. She loves her students and the ways their little minds work! Heather enjoys reading, hiking and gardening, and continues to write short fiction and poetry. Her piece about overcoming her obsession appeared in Teen Ink during her junior year in high school and another piece of hers also is featured in Teen Ink, Our Voices, Our Visions.
Jorge Quiñones wrote his touching memories of his father in his senior year in high school, when they were published in the pages of Teen Ink magazine. Now in college, he studies media arts and design and enjoys his favorite hobbies: eating, sleeping, and watching sports. Jorge sends a special thank-you to his mom and dad for their continued support.
Vanessa Dawn Rand is a junior in high school where she took this amazing pile of stones at a local beach. She loves shooting photographs especially at her family's cabin in the woods. Vanessa loves to snowboard and play the guitar. She plans to major in science in college because she's particularly interested in the study of DNA.
Alice Reagan is currently pursuing an MFA in theatre. She is also managing editor for an upcoming issue of the journal, Women & Performance. She studied women's literature and theatre in college. Her fiction piece, published in Teen Ink when she was a senior in high school, has some roots in reality - she worked in a bookstore in high school.
Maritess A. Reusch wrote her very honest piece about supporting her incarcerated brother when she was a sophomore in high school. She is now a journalism major in college and works in a catering business learning to cook. Mari dedicates her work to her parents, who always believed in her and what she could do.
Melanie A. Rice loves to read, write and cook, but nothing brings her more joy than lounging with her cats Abu and Lex. She thanks her parents for their constant support, and dedicates her work to Carol Crawford, her English teacher, who helped uncover Melanie's true talents. She will be forever grateful and honored. Melanie also thanks the special and dedicated (and often under-appreciated) bus drivers like Ms. Janie about whom she wrote when she was published in Teen Ink last year.
Meredith Lee Ritchie keeps her schedule filled with school clubs, tennis and basketball and work (where she met Superman, the hero of her story) but loves to hang out with her friends during busy weekends. She recently took an amazing trip to Europe, and can't wait to go again. She thanks her parents, her brother Justin, and the rest of her family and friends for always believing in her. Her piece recently appeared in Teen Ink magazine.
Sarah Roberto shot this exuberant photo of her brother in a field last year. A sophomore in high school, she takes primarily landscape photos, so this was for her an attempt to shoot something with deeper meaning. Sarah plays field hockey and runs winter and spring track at her school and really enjoys sailing. She would love to be a writer but is keeping all her options open.
Faheem Robinson writes that he loves his life! Through all those years of heartache and pain going from one foster home to another, he didn't realize that these events would actually help mold him into the person he is today. He has more than survived and has become a successful hair stylist! He also realizes he has one of the biggest families because of all his foster homes. His piece was published in Teen Ink when he was a senior in high school. He would like to thank everyone who showed him love during his childhood years.
Rachel Roth still enjoys writing, even as a senior in college in the business school, and hopes to incorporate it into her future career possibly in financial services. She gives campus tours and is quite active in her sorority as well as spending junior year studying in Spain. In high school, Rachel primarily wrote poetry, but ventured into more humorous writing in this essay which was published in Teen Ink when she was a senior. She was also busy being editor of the foreign language magazine and captain of the cheerleading team.
Dana Rusk wrote this simple, but perceptive poem when she was a senior in high school when it was published in Teen Ink magazine. She was into sports participating in field hockey and lacrosse and although she wrote all through high school, does little now that she's out of college. At college, she studied environmental sciences and has been working for two years for an environmental consulting firm.
Michele Sampson brought her love of dance with her to college; she is working toward a dance minor, and was the winner of a local arts council scholarship for dance. When she's not in toe shoes, she is volunteering as a church teacher and usher, helping out at the local parks department, fulfilling her duties as the Italian Club president, a board member of National Honor Society, and the business manager of her school newspaper. Michele dedicates this piece, written in her junior year, to her biracial niece who, with her innocence and love, inspires Michele to help change the world and stand up to racism.
Barney Schauble has lived and worked in London as a risk manager for a large brokerage firm for a number of years. Recently married to an English woman, he plans to return to the States soon. The subject of the poem, his brother Oren, now is a junior in high school in Hawaii. When Barney was in high school, he was involved in many activities including soccer, student politics, academic bowl and drama. He also took and taught karate and spent time with his brothers, parents and friends. He always wanted to travel, and so was fortunate to be able to do that during the past two years of living abroad.
Atara Schimmel was a junior in high school when her nostalgic piece appeared in Teen Ink. She has since graduated from college in Israel and spent many years travelling doing community service in Africa. She still loves to write.
Emma Schofield, a high school freshman, actually shot this scene for her very first class assignment. She was taken by the shadow of her two friends the sun was creating and so decided to try to capture it. Emma keeps busy playing on the varsity soccer team and loves to ski. Her favorite activity is hanging out with her two older brothers when they come home from college.
Lisa Schottenfeld recently graduated from high school, where she was editor of the newspaper and literary magazine and was involved with chorus and the debate group. She performed in many school theatre productions and volunteered as assistant director for her temple's drama club. Her greatest passion is Shakespeare. Lisa has been published many times in Teen Ink magazine. She wrote her portrait of her voice teacher during her senior year and two of her poems appeared in other Teen Ink books.
Aaron Schwartz took this amazing close-up of a hand writing as a senior in high school when it appeared in Teen Ink magazine. He thought, as he shot it, "Hey, that would be a cool picture." Now, a junior in college, he takes mostly black and white portraits and looks to Edward Warner as his favorite photographer. Studying industrial design, he enjoys video games and singing loudly in his car.
Shea M. Seen skipped third grade, and graduated the youngest senior in her class. She loves reading, singing, dancing, and above all, acting. Her childhood wedding tale first appeared in Teen Ink a year ago when she was a senior in high school. She dedicates her work to her mom, grandma, and "papa," who will always be the "wind beneath her wings."
Sabine Selvais, after getting a college degree in fine arts, became a graphic designer. She is an amazingly creative person, enjoying stain-glass work and decorating as well as photography. This simple photo of daisies was shot when she was still in high school and was published in Teen Ink. Marrying her long-time boyfriend, she relocated to be closer to her family. She'd like to make a special dedication to her husband since he has given her many opportunities to become the creative person she is.
Raabia Shafi is just beginning college this year and finds it's a lot harder than high school. She's hoping to double major in history and foreign affairs, but finds she changes her mind a lot. Raabia loves tennis, playing varsity in high school and for pleasure now. Her perceptive piece about her grandmother was published as a senior in high school where she was active in the Islamic Awareness Club. She still loves to write and dedicates this story to her grandmother.
William K. Sheppard created his self-portrait as a senior in high school. Now a college freshman studying business, he plans to pursue his masters in culinary art, physical therapy and music. His long-time dream has been to become a chef and physical therapist. He explains, "I've enjoyed cooking since I was little and I've always wanted to help people." He also loves music, especially alternative music and jazz. He plays the trombone, drums and steel drums, and is a member of a jazz band and steel pan band. Will says, "Music will be part of my life forever." He thanks his high-school art teachers, Mrs. Skelton and Mrs. Putman.
Selma Siddiqui loves theater, swimming, public speaking and cows ("they're fun, quiet, and interesting animals") and she occasionally finds herself singing 1960's songs in the middle of class. Her beautifully crafted portrait of her Pakistani grandfather was published in Teen Ink last year, when she was a sophomore. She dedicates her piece to Mr. Helms, her English teacher.
Amilcar Silva is following his dream, and studies engineering in college. "Sins of the Father" appeared in a recent issue of Teen Ink magazine. Amilcar, (or AMC, as his friends call him) loves to play football, and spends much of his time with his daughter, Shantel, whose birth was his most memorable and moving experience. He thanks his favorite teacher, Ms. Preer, for everything she has done for him.
Ilana Silverman is now a college sophomore thinking about majoring in cognitive science. She wrote her piece during high school where she studied American Sign Language for three years, using her knowledge to be a teaching assistant for a semester at the American School for the Deaf. Ilana loves working with children and continues to volunteer with them despite her busy college schedule. She dedicates her piece to Deborah Lewison-Grant, her high school sign language teacher, who not only taught and inspired Ilana, but opened a whole new world to her.
Caty Simon wrote her poem when she was barely in high school where she was quite active in the feminist movement as well as gay rights, participating in many rallies. After high school she became a rape crisis counselor and volunteered at a center. She says that her handwriting hasn't improved since she wrote the poem so many years ago, but she is much nicer to her father!
Stephen Siperstein has had his photographs exhibited in a local arts festival where he also won an essay contest. He is a senior in high school and a musician "to the core." He has been playing the guitar and piano for years, and has even taught children how to play. This summer he will work as a camp counselor. He shoots primarily black and white and was a finalist in a national photo contest for Photographer's Forum Magazine.
Thomas W. Sitzler recently graduated from high school where he was one well-rounded student: wrestling all four years, singing in the school choir, marching as drum major with the band and receiving the award for Most Spirited Senior (in addition to holding a black belt in karate and being an Eagle Scout)! Now studying choir education in college with an emphasis on piano mirrors his life-long love of piano and music. That fateful day Senior year when he was handing in this piece on love, a friend grabbed it and insisted he do some editing, polishing it to its present stage that then appeared in Teen Ink .
Joanne Sng was published in Teen Ink when she was a junior in high school, remembering what it was like to watch her grandmother cook. High school was an amazing time for her, but she says it doesn't even compare to all she's experienced in college. She loves the freedom to be able to meet new people and learn from teachers who have a real interest in helping her grow as a person. Joanne's best adventure was spending a summer working in Disney World in Florida. "It was honestly the most perfect summer ever" where she met her real "Prince Charming."
Linsey A. Stevens wrote her heartfelt tribute to Dr. Mark Boucek a few years ago. Linsey fishes, mountain bikes, and backpacks, loves softball and reading, and currently majors in international studies in college. Three open-heart surgeries and numerous hospital stays helped Linsey to prioritize her life, and to grow emotionally and spiritually.
Robert Stolper wrote this engaging portrait of his teacher when he was a junior in high school. He dedicates it to all the teachers of the world, the second line of parenting who are rarely recognized, and to his family and friends, some of his most important teachers. Rob recently graduated from college with a degree in biochemistry and works for a pharmaceutical consulting company. Since both his parents are teachers, he's spent his summers traveling and has acquired a huge variety of experiences (hiking the Grand Canyon, rock climbing, driving to Alaska and seeing the Northern Lights). He has volunteered for his local ambulance corps since high school.
David J. Stryker wrote his story as a junior in high school, but the love of music described in his piece has followed him to college where he is a regular attendee at New York Philharmonic concerts. He spends several hours a week tutoring children in Hebrew and assisting in the office of a religious school. David has many special acknowledgments: his family for their inspiration and teaching him to persevere, and his friends and community for their support and helping him to see the good in difficult situations.
Joyce Sun believes that her best writing is "spontaneous, quick, and comes from the heart," and she proves it - the poem featured here was written in the ten minutes between high school calculus and French classes when she was a junior. Joyce enjoyed a random set of activities during high school: Quiz Bowl, Youth in Government helping with theater productions and falling down a lot while trying to play soccer as a freshman. These days she fits in writing between working for her college's classics journal, a law journal on human rights and development, and what she calls "semi-professional" web design. Joyce is studying biology with the hope of heading to law school after graduation.
Bonnie Tamarin's piece about her mother was originally published in Teen Ink magazine when she was a high school sophomore, where she occasionally wrote for the school paper. She went on to college where she continued to love writing, graduating with a B.S. in Magazine Journalism and a minor in Spanish. Now a social worker (after receiving a Master's this year), she works with the HIV positive population. Bonnie says she still enjoys writing, although she hasn't written anything for publication since her undergraduate years.
Suzanne Timmons, a senior in high school, is always on the run - she is the team captain for both the indoor and outdoor track teams at her school. When she's not running around the track, she's running around the office of her school newspaper, where she is the editor. In addition, the Key Club, Campus Ministry and the Bridge Over Troubled Waters Agency are all proud to call her a member of their organizations.
Pamela J. Torok feels her camera is her "third eye," her extension and companion for life. For her, the expression, "Don't leave home without it," has taken on a new meaning for she is never without her camera. Graduating from college next year, she is majoring in photography and graphic design. Her lyrical shot of these stone steps was published in Teen Ink when she was a junior in high school and she dedicates it to her photography teacher who made every day memorable and her mom who drove her everywhere so she could take pictures.
Emily N. Trask, now a graduate student and editor for an education research firm, was published in Teen Ink as a junior in high school. Her story was inspired by a man she met on a life-changing train trip from Boston to Colorado when she was 16 years old. She would like to thank Stiles, wherever he is, as well as Mrs. Lefort, who told her to submit her piece to Teen Ink. Lastly, she thanks her family and friends, sending a special message to Matt "for always supporting me, no matter what."
Erica Hillary Trestyn is graduating this year from college with a fine arts major, continuing her interest in art. This lovely pen and ink of a rose was published in Teen Ink when Erica was a senior in high school.
Brian Wayne is a senior in high school where he does lots of photography. He also plays guitar in a band and personally recorded a demo track in Nashville when he was only 15. He loves tennis, playing for the varsity at his school and is involved with the Model UN as well as working as a short order cook at a restaurant in his town.
Michelle Wedig saw her wistful piece in Teen Ink as a senior in high school where she was active in many clubs and sports, including field hockey. She also enjoyed photography, spending lots of time in the darkroom and serving as photo editor for her newspaper. In college, she studied biomedical engineering, and is currently finishing her masters in tissue engineering. She tries to relax by cooking, going to the movies and trying to go to the gym.
Rachel Weiner considers writing to be a form of meditation since she finds it to be a way to figure out her deepest, most complicated thoughts and feelings. As a junior in high school, she works two jobs, takes science classes, and is an active member of her school's literary magazine, the Gay-Straight Alliance and Amnesty International. She thanks the subject of her poem for "helping me grow, find out who I am, and trusting me with your heart," and her parents and friends for "always keeping me in your hearts and showing me how to laugh again when I feel like I've forgotten."
Julie White calls herself a beach bum, but she doesn't have much time for laying in the sun. As a senior in high school, she is captain of the soccer team, a basketball cheerleader and a member of the track team. She is the secretary for both her class and her school's National Honor Society, as well as being involved in a peer leader group, SADD, drama, the Student Advisory council and working with children with disabilities. During the summer she has the "awesome" job of being a camp counselor for inner-city kids. Julie would like to thank the staff of Teen Ink for their time and effort.
Jon Wright took this panoramic shot of trees when he was in high school. Now working as a landscaper, he is too busy to continue his interest in photography.
Catherine Zimmerman finds nothing more satisfying than incorporating life, imagination, and feelings into words on paper. Her moving piece first appeared in Teen Ink magazine when she was a senior in high school. Now in college, Catherine plans to major in elementary education. In addition to writing, Catherine has a passion for the martial arts. At age 15, she was state champion and is now one rank away from receiving a black belt. Catherine dedicates her piece to the Spargo family and to Mrs. Jeannie Pearson, a wonderful teacher and friend.
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