Archives for July 2010

Melanie Carmen Gonzalez is a 15-year-old reporter/singer at Central Park East High School who indulges her two passions with involvement in her school’s choir and newspaper team. Melanie is Puerto Rican and Dominican and is very proud of her heritage. The weirdest dream she’s had involved her living in “a mythical world sort of like an evil Candyland,” which also happens to be her favorite board game. Melanie enjoys writing breaking news stories and is actively involved in the world around her by reading newspapers daily and staying updated on current events. She’d like for her writing to spark new thoughts in her readers. Melanie aspires to a college degree, but hopes to stay in New York, the city she’s known for all of her life.

 

Bria Murray is a 16-year-old junior at Central Park East High School. She grew up in Brooklyn and has a lot of wisdom for those who want to receive it. In 10 years, she’d like to be engaged and trying to start a family. Her best memory was when she attended anti-prom with her friends Melanie, Christian, Cassandra, Stephanie, Thomas, and Tony. Life experiences inspires Bria. She is an objectivist.

Shatovia Irvings is a 17-year-old high school student who likes to communicate with people. She is a very sensitive person with an open personality, but sometimes her facial expressions say otherwise. Shatovia is a mix of ethnicities – West Indian, Native American and white. She also has a mix of homes – Harlem, Connecticut and North Carolina. After her senior year, Shatovia plans to do four years of college and then medical school. Her motivation for success is to always out do her competition.

Xue Yun Gao’s favorite hobby is volleyball. The 18-year-old Brooklynite has had a variety of favorite colors – it was black and white then green and now it is blue. She thinks her passion for helping others will lead to a career as an advocate or government work. Her college dream list includes Columbia, West Point or some a CUNY and SUNY school.

Chazity Cruz is a 17-year-old girl living in the heart of the Boogie Down Bronx. She is of Puerto Rican and Spanish descent. However, if Chazity could spend the rest of her life in another country it would be England. Her favorite genre of music is urban, including hip-hop and reggaeton. If Chazity could only eat one food for the rest of her life it would be Chinese tacos or beef jerky. What sets her apart from her siblings is her beautiful and glowing personality. If Chazity won a million dollars she would give it away to someone who needs it.

Khalila is a 16-year-old Trinidadian who lives in Flatbush, Brooklyn. She’s known for throwing good parties. Her family inspires her to be whoever and whatever she wants to be. Most people don’t know that she is missing one of her ribs. Khalila is currently undecided in which profession she would like to work in but she’d like to help out her community as much as she can. Her friends look to her to be a strong decision-maker who is wise and fun.

Arianna Rose Winchester is only 15 but she has big dreams. After being home schooled for most of her life, she currently attends NYC Lab School, where she will be a junior this fall. Teachers would say Arianna is like any other student; talkative but when it comes down to it, the work always gets done and it shows with her GPA of 95%. After creating the Community Service Club in the early fall, Arianna has continued to show effort by volunteering with the club and helping her fellow classmates. Her goal for the future is to attend college and perhaps grad school, she would like to challenge herself by attending an Ivy League school but isn’t sure she’ll make it. However, with her academic skills and her strong sense of determination, Arianna Winchester is going to change the world someday and she may not even know it.

Alina Lee, 17, is Korean and attends Brooklyn Technical High School. One memorable moment she described was her math class: She failed but she didn’t give up and studied even harder. “Hard work pays off,” she says. She loves to bake and dreams of opening her own bakery store. Yummy! One of her embarrassing moments took place when she was in third grade: There was a talent show and she and her friends had to dance Britney Spears’s moves but she was not good at dancing. Throughout the show, she stared at the audience and cried. She has a turtle, fishes, three cats – but one ran away, a dog, birds, a lizard, and a snake. Her hamsters are probably in heaven.

Noah Schoer is a 17-year-old senior at Beacon High School. He likes to read a lot and express himself through music. One moment that Noah is proud of is being part of the founding staff of the newspaper in his school. He actively worked to start the newspaper by recruiting others students from his school. He plays the guitar and is a songwriter, as well. He’d like to become a journalist, but if that doesn’t work out, he’ll find some other way to serve his community.