Inspiring Teens Magazine Features

Jordyn De La Torre

2/18/2021

Jordyn De La Torre – Arizona
Nomination and Photography by Liebrock Photography
Issue 43 of Inspiring Teens Magazine

The Nomination: At age 7 Jordyn was diagnosed with Stage IV cancer. She endured months of chemotherapy and pain but persevered. She now has a 4.6 GPA is a member of countless school and community clubs and hopes to go to medical school because she was too inspired by the doctors that helped her. Not only does she participate in advanced placement classes, but she is also a student in the IB Advanced Placement program. The Nation’s most rigorous academic program. She has it all! Brains, beauty, and the biggest, most caring heart. She inspires me! I just had to nominate her!

Photography by Jennifer De La Torre

Please share your cancer journey with us and how it has inspired your medical career.
I have been raised around doctors who had diagnosed Stage IV Wilms tumor in my kidney when I was seven years old, doctors who planned out my chemotherapy afterwards, and doctors who helped facilitate my remission. They are the reason that I am alive today and why I am so happy to have the surgical scar stretched across my stomach. It was their dedication to ensure my prolonged health that has inspired me to someday become one of them.
To achieve this goal, I have dedicated much of my time and energy into my schoolwork by engaging in the International Baccalaureate Diploma program as well as numerous clubs around my school.
This adventure of an education coupled with prolonged medical complications has taught me the value of working through any hardships that may come my way so that I can come out the other side a better person. I am who I am today because of what I have been through, what the doctors around me have done for me, and the lessons I have learned along my path of education.

How has the coronavirus hindered your process and how did you work around it? Was there something positive that arose from it?
Lately my life and the world around me has been swarmed with doctors explaining the negative effects of the coronavirus and the actions that need to be taken against it. Stay home. Don’t wear a mask. Quarantine. Don’t go to school. Wear a mask. Go to school. My education has cycled between the normal coalition of students in a courtyard to paperwork filed on a laptop screen. In-person. Online. I’ve been wired up to the continuous stream of medical reports and news updates since the outburst of the pandemic.
Though coronavirus has inhibited the fluency of an organized education, it has taught me the language of self propelled knowledge. My months spent in quarantine have given way to hours of answers and research to questions I was able to formulate without the schedule of a seven-class day. Without this time spent to myself, I would not have been able to explore my own interests and discover my devotion to discovery. It was this time that has solidified my need to one day become a doctor.

Photography by Liebrock Photography

As an officer & a leader, what legacy do you hope to leave behind for future leaders at Chandler Buddies?
After having spent four years as an officer for Chandler Buddies, I hope to have left a legacy of acceptance and love. I have had an incredible experience coordinating and planning countless events that have brought people with and without intellectual disabilities together. It has really taught me the value of learning from others who are not like me and the strength that can be found in diversity. I hope that future leaders of Chandler Buddies will be able to enjoy it as much as I have.

Look for Jordyn in issue 43 of Inspiring Teens Magazine!

click here for more information on issue 43

click here to nominate an inspiring teen

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Samik Krishnan

12/18/2020

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Samik Krishnan – Arizona
Interview by Inspiring Teens
Nomination and Photography by
Anjeanette Photography Phoenix
Issue 41 of Inspiring Teens Magazine

Nomination: Samik Puthucode isn’t just an amazing high school student who loves math- he also organizes a charity for glasses to give back! I was so encouraged by his heart of generosity- I have several older pairs of glasses that hopefully someone can use.

From Samik's website: "I have started with an idea to give away a couple pairs of glasses to local kids in Arizona, USA and to kids in Bangalore, India who couldn’t afford them. I also feel there is a need for helping people who have eye conditions such as Glaucoma, Cataracts, Bulging Eyes, Color Blindness, Crossed Eye, and Diabetic Macular Edema. I thought about this charity because I see many people that are older and younger, that have these eye conditions. Please help me in collecting eyewear and donating. Or if you can organize eye exams and related services to people in need in your own community. If you are an Eye doctor, you can be much more compassionate in organizing some events for free in and around where you live. If you have a loved one that is need of any of these services or has been through a tough time, you can see events that may be of interest to you on our website from time to time. Although we are based in the USA., we have a global reach with affiliates and friends in India and the continental USA and are always looking to do more with anyone that can and is willing to contribute. "

Photography by Anjeanette Photography Phoenix

Please tell us more about your charity.
Onepair charity (https://www.onepaircharity.org) was created with a vision to help people with eye care, whether it is to find a pair of eyeglasses, to find doctor for eye exam/surgery. It all started with my thought of when in middle school, here in a suburb of Phoenix, AZ, to give away a couple pairs of glasses to local kids in Arizona, USA and to kids in Bangalore, India who could not afford them. With some personal history of to wear glasses for quite a few years now, and ever-changing prescription for teenagers, I also realized and saw the need to donate pairs that are not of use anymore to the needy. Having traveled internationally, to Europe/UK and Asia (India), I found this to be one way I could possibly make an impact, however small it may be. I hence, started to write to the larger nonprofits in this same area such as manufacturers like Essilor, and VSP Global, and other renowned bigger international organizations such as Lions International, to see if they would be able to help in my collection drives and recycling efforts, and further distribution to the needy. I was pleasantly surprised to see their kind responses and ability to be more than willing to help.
In parallel, I also talked to many of my parents’ friends and contacts who are Eye doctors, Ophthalmologists around the world, and run hospitals to see their interest. They were kind and more than willing to assist. One renowned eye hospital in India, which is one of the oldest prosthetics and specialty eye hospitals actually organizes recycling efforts for used eyeglasses in reasonable condition and makes them available to needy. This really made my effort seem worth it and being able to create an impact. Hence OnePairchairty was created and is thriving now.

How did you get it started? Did you do it on your own or did you seek out others to help?
As I have explained above, the initial thought originated in me, and then I solicited inputs from my Parents and their friends, to see if it would be something that could help and had some chance of being able to launch & succeed in the mission. With a lot of positive initial feedback, I then went ahead and created an initial website with details, and also wrote about it on my Blog. And that is how I got it started.

Image by a parent

What were your biggest struggles and how did you overcome them?
It was initially to get inputs in a timely manner from friends of my Parents and their contacts, and eye doctors, and their time to think or talk about this. They are all busy individuals with a lot on their plate, however, everyone was very kind and wanted to get involved. Creating an initial website when I was in middle school was also a bit of a challenge, however my Mom helped out. We eventually used and continue professional small business (also run by a friend of our family)to help us out to now manage and maintain the site. Organizing annual or six-monthly collection drives has been my motive, although being in a school that encouraged it and were open to it in my middle school years, made it easy to get started with drives for collection. Before I was out of middle school, we organized drives for 2 consecutive years with great success. This also included 2020, when everyone was gripped with the pandemic.

Where is your charity now and what are your goals for its future?
Well, we have been continuing to organize collection drives for my charity, and like I said, even during the pandemic, it was so heartwarming to see how generous people are, and they think about giving back to the community. The most recent drive was in my middle school in March 2020 and that was in-fact the largest collection of eyeglasses so far! Very heartwarming! The plans for the future are to continue the efforts and helping out the needy as much as I can through contributions to the recycling efforts of the partners, we send them to. Also, one of the aims is to be able to raise some volunteer donations in terms of $$ by willing and able people, towards the surgeries for cataracts, or for prosthetics for eye, with all contributions directly going to the hospital in India.

Image by a parent

Tell us about your journey with flying.
I got interested in flying at a very young age (3 or 4 years if I remember) primarily due to traveling internationally, every single year since birth (except 2020, of course , due to the pandemic), with my parents. This really interested me in airplanes at first and the amazing technology in aviation. I started reading about it, and following people that are avid travel bloggers, especially Sam Chui, a favorite, (shout out to Sam!) and reading and seeing their video blogs and web blogs. I also got started on simulators, again, my parents who encouraged me and go on real simulators around the world. I started using simulator software and got really interested and started enjoying it. So much that every week I just felt immensely happy when I did that. I continue to do this. One of my friends at middle school was also incidentally into real flying school, and he has also advanced at the flight school at such a young age. (He was a year older than me), and so that got me to now getting started at flight school, as the minimum age is 15 years to be starting flight school lessons.

What is your blog about and who is your target audience?
One of my hobbies alongside my school, was to write about interesting topics including things I did – basketball which I play and keenly follow (NBA), interesting places around the world, events in technology and similar. A nice way to share writings with friends and well-wishers is a blog and that is how I really got started. I try and keep up at it., although it sometimes is time management and needs time. My target audience is teenagers and above age group and I seem to have a good set of people that read and comment and encourage me. As I advance into being a high school sophomore and then junior & senior years, I intend to write on more invigorating topics in technology, medicine, economy and of course continue existing areas of NBA and travel.

Look for Samik in issue 41 of Inspiring Teens Magazine!

click here for more information on issue 41

Click here to nominate an inspiring teen

10 Comments

Anna Hurtado

11/9/2020

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Anna Hurtado - Arizona
Interview by Inspiring Teens
Nomination and Photography by
Sand & Light Photography
Issue 40 of Inspiring Teens Magazine

The Nomination: In her Mother's words: Anna is inspiring because since she was little, she has shown us that dreams come true with hard work. Her dedication, passion and perseverance has led her to accomplish much.
She’s a dedicated student, who knows that school is important-but not more important than her faith and her family.
When she fails trying to accomplish something, Anna manages to learn from her mistakes to overcome them and thus show herself that a bad result does not define what you are capable of achieving.
She has a kind heart and likes volunteering to help the less fortunate. We’re blessed to have Anna as our daughter.

Photography by Sand & Light Photography

Tell us about your high school experiences and how they affected you through your high school years.
I have learned a lot during high school. In my freshman year, I learned to be patient with myself and to get comfortable with failure, and to learn from that failure. In my sophomore year, I learned to identify the negative influences in my life and to move on from them. My junior year, I learned that in every aspect of life, love is everything. I’m not sure what lesson senior year has for me yet, but I’m grateful for these experiences that shaped me into the person I am today.

What performing arts performances have you participated in, and which was your favorite? Why?
I have nurtured my passion for performing during my high school years. At my school, I performed in Don't Rock The Boat, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat , The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, and Mary Poppins. I have also participated in choir and dance performances, and voice and piano recitals. My favorite performing experience has to be Mary Poppins. While it took effort to get into the character of Jane Banks, the process was fun because it required me to explore the inner child in me, which is a refreshing way to look at things at this point in my life. It also taught me that, as one of the songs from the show states, anything can happen if you let it.

Photography by Sand & Light Photography

What leadership opportunities have you had? Share your favorite story.
These past few years, I have had several leadership opportunities at my school, including being: a house leader in its house system, a leader on the freshman retreat, a school ambassador, an officer in the Exchange Club, and a leader for our Kairos retreat soon. My favorite experience I have had as a leader has definitely been leading my house on the Unified Field Day that my school organizes for students with disabilities from other schools nearby. We spent many hours and meetings organizing our field day game, and in the end it was worth the fun and smiles shared by everyone.

What does the NHS mean to you and why are you so proud to be a member?
Being a member in my school’s chapter of National Honor Society (NHS) means to me that I’m capable of achieving a prestigious standard, and still signals me to foster these pillars in my own life. I am proud to be a member in the NHS because I’ve earned my place in it through my own hard work and because I’m proud to be part of an organization that not only recognizes students’ achievements but also encourages us to take those virtues and use them to make a positive impact in our communities.

Photography by Amy Schaumberg

Your nomination mentions you enjoy volunteering. Where do you volunteer and what do you love about it?
I have had several volunteering experiences. Throughout high school, I have participated in my school’s music ministry, either playing the violin or singing in the choir. I have also volunteered at places such as St. Vincent de Paul, Midwest Food Bank, as well as my own parish. My favorite and most frequent way to serve is in the music ministry because I already love to sing and play music, and it feels right to use those gifts I am given to give back to my community.

What advice would you give to someone who wants to be where you are today?
To anyone who wants to be where I am today, I would advise them to never underestimate what they’re capable of achieving. By limiting your belief in what you can do, you hold yourself back from being able to achieve what you want. Quoting Theodore Roosevelt, believe you can and you’re halfway there. That is a belief that has helped me achieve my goals and I believe it will help many others reach their potential.

Photography by Sand & Light Photography

Where do you see yourself in 5 years/ what are your plans?
In five years, I see myself graduating from college and I hope to see myself starting a new and exciting career in either writing or performing, in a lively city like New York City or London.

What is your favorite activity or pastime that was not in your nomination?
My favorite activity to do in my free time is teach myself how to play instruments. So far, I’ve learned to play the ukulele and I can play some guitar.

3 Things on your bucket list:
Three things on my bucket list are: to be a polyglot, to play Christine in a production of Phantom of the Opera, and to travel around the world.

Look for Anna in issue 40 of Inspiring Teens Magazine!

Click here for more information on issue 40

click here to nominate an inspiring teen

0 Comments

Jordyn De La Torre

Jordyn De La Torre – Arizona
Nomination and Photography by Liebrock Photography
Issue 43 of Inspiring Teens Magazine

Samik Krishnan

Samik Krishnan – Arizona
Interview by Inspiring Teens
Nomination and Photography by
Anjeanette Photography Phoenix
Issue 41 of Inspiring Teens Magazine

Anna Hurtado

Anna Hurtado - Arizona
Interview by Inspiring Teens
Nomination and Photography by
Sand & Light Photography
Issue 40 of Inspiring Teens Magazine

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Jordyn De La Torre

Jordyn De La Torre – ArizonaNomination and Photography by Liebrock PhotographyIssue 43 of Inspiring Teens Magazine​

Samik Krishnan

Samik Krishnan – ArizonaInterview by Inspiring TeensNomination and Photography by​Anjeanette Photography PhoenixIssue 41 of Inspiring Teens Magazine​

Anna Hurtado

Anna Hurtado - ArizonaInterview by Inspiring TeensNomination and Photography by​Sand & Light PhotographyIssue 40 of Inspiring Teens Magazine

Featured

Archives

Categories

Jordyn De La Torre – Arizona
Nomination and Photography by Liebrock Photography
Issue 43 of Inspiring Teens Magazine

Samik Krishnan – Arizona
Interview by Inspiring Teens
Nomination and Photography by
Anjeanette Photography Phoenix
Issue 41 of Inspiring Teens Magazine

Anna Hurtado - Arizona
Interview by Inspiring Teens
Nomination and Photography by
Sand & Light Photography
Issue 40 of Inspiring Teens Magazine