Inspiring Teens Magazine Features

Ashlee Wood

7/3/2020

Ashlee Wood - Kentucky
Interview by Olivia Bush
Nomination by Aleshia Martin
Photography by April Manning Photography
Issue 35 of Inspiring Teens Magazine

The Nomination: Ashlee is a very hardworking and determined girl! Since quarantine, she’s found a love for painting, especially door hangers. She’s now painting and selling door hangers left and right through a Facebook group she made! I’m so proud of her and I can’t wait to witness her accomplish her goals of becoming a labor & delivery nurse!

Photography by April Manning Photography

How did you get the idea to start painting door hangers?
I had seen so many cute ideas of door signs for Mother’s Day gifts on Pinterest, so I made one for someone for Mother’s Day and she encouraged me to make a business out of it!

How far has your painting business gone?
What are your goals for it? Right now it’s just starting out, I’ve made around 10 signs and sold them, but my Facebook group grows by the day! My goal is to make them for people for fun and to make a little bit of money, it’d be nice to make a business out of it once I get out of high school; but I don’t want to be super overwhelmed for my senior year.

Photography by Ashlee Wood

Why did you decide you wanted to become a labor and delivery nurse?
I have such a unique love for babies! For a while I debated back and forth between labor & delivery and NICU; but recently I decided my heart probably couldn’t take everything that happens in NICU.

Photography by April Manning Photography

What other goals do you have for your future and your career?
I plan to study nursing at EKU, hopefully minoring in photography. While working in labor & delivery, I’d like to eventually be able to offer mothers/families quality newborn pictures for a low cost!

Photography by friend of Ashlee's

Tell me more about playing golf in high school!
What is your favorite memory with the team? I just started golfing this past year, as dance is my main sport; I’ve been dancing since I was 4! Dance had become stressful last year, so I thought maybe I should try something to help balance my stress; which is when I discovered golf!

Ashlee will be featured in issue 35 of Inspiring Teens Magazine!

click here for more information on issue 35

click here to nominate an inspiring teen

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William Cabaniss

6/25/2020

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William Cabaniss - Tennessee
Interview by Olivia Bush
Nomination by Jillina Cabaniss
Photography by Vanilla Feeds Tomorrow
Issue 35 of Inspiring Teens Magazine

The Nomination: Upon hearing that local food banks were experiencing high demand due to COVID-19, William Cabaniss, already having a soft spot for people who are hungry wanted to help. William founded a nonprofit - Vanilla Feeds Tomorrow- where he is making, bottling, and selling homemade vanilla extract and donating all profits to Second Harvest Food Bank of East Tennessee where he also volunteers.
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Photography by Vanilla Feeds Tomorrow

How did you get the idea to start your nonprofit Vanilla Feeds Tomorrow?
I had just finished watching a news segment about the long lines at food banks around the country and I went to the kitchen to make my “Vanilla Brownies” and as I added the vanilla it hit me. I could sell vanilla extract to help support these food banks.

How did you decide that you were going to bottle and sell vanilla extract, rather than any other food or ingredient?
I have always enjoyed the flavor that vanilla can bring to your baking. Also, with the quarantine people started baking more and they required more vanilla extract.

Where will the profits that you make go to?
All profits are donated to Second Harvest Food Bank of East Tennessee. I choose to donate to them because they are such an amazing organization. Their range of service is just incredible, they have so many different programs, and they can turn a one-dollar donation into 3 meals.

Image by Andrea Madeleine Photography

Is this nonprofit something that you hope to continue for many years even after the COVID-19 pandemic is over?
I see myself doing this for the foreseeable future. This need won’t end when there is a vaccine or the pandemic has ended.

When did you start volunteering at food banks? What inspired you to start doing this?
I had classmates in school who were truly hungry. It has bothered me as long as I can remember. I have been volunteering at food banks/pantries for many years. As a 7-year-old, I would work at a soup kitchen through my grandma’s church. I would donate bananas, my favorite fruit, to a local food pantry along with monetary donations from my allowance starting in Kindergarten.

How can people around the country and the world help food banks in their areas like you are doing?
To help the currently overwhelmed food banks in your local areas you can donate money, volunteer, or donate food. Reach out and contact your local food banks/ pantries for specific needs or volunteer opportunities. They would appreciate the help very much, and you would be helping your community.

William will be featured in issue 35 of Inspiring Teens Magazine!

click here for more information on issue 35

click here to nominate an inspiring teen

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Vivian Nguyen

5/10/2020

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Vivian Nguyen - Texas
Interview by Claire Plath
Nomination by Quang Nguyen
Photography by Victoria Nguyen
Issue 33 of Inspiring Teens Magazine

The Nomination: Vivian Nguyen is a charismatic force to be reckoned with who pushes herself to exceed her limits. As a published writer and valedictorian of her middle school, Vivian excels academically. She was deemed one of the top 20 writers in the country as a finalist during the national TIME for Kids Magazine Kid Reporter Search. Furthermore, Vivian started her own business at 14, creating custom tie-dye pieces, donating a portion of her profits to charity. Her company, DyenosaurApparel, has racked hundreds of orders nationwide and from her community and received tens of thousands of views on social media.

Tell me about your business DyenosaurApparel and what inspired you to start your own business for creating custom tie-dye pieces.
DyenosaurApparel began as a small community service endeavor when I was 14. My school’s National Junior Honor Society chapter needed to raise money for charity, but we weren’t receiving enough donations. As Vice President, I decided to go a step further and take matters into my own hands. I began by making scrunchies and selling them at school to raise money. With my friends’ support, my little charity project garnered a lot of attention on social media. Fast forward a year, I’ve been fortunate enough to receive hundreds of orders from my community and across the country!

What do you love most about being a published writer, and what opportunities have you received through your gift for writing?
Being a published writer has given me the opportunity to share my voice, express my emotions, and stand for my beliefs. Writing has opened many doors for me in my educational career. I was deemed one of the top 20 writers in the country during the Time For Kids Reporter Contest and received the Barbara Roach Writing Award.

How were you able to manage your own business while immersing yourself in community volunteer work and being valedictorian of your middle school simultaneously?
Simply put, I made a schedule and stuck to it. Balancing my business and community service on top of school was definitely difficult but keeping a planner and sticking to a routine has been integral to juggling schoolwork and my life outside of school. If I’m being completely honest, there have been some long, tiring nights. But there’s nothing a little caffeine can’t fix!

What extracurricular activities are you passionate about?
I’m passionate about involving myself in my community and school as much as possible. At school, I’m especially devoted to biomedical sciences. Fortunately, I attend James Martin High School in Arlington, Texas, which has a specialized program for students who want to pursue a career in the STEM fields. Through their STEM program, I’ve been able to advance to state with HOSA, a biomedical competition, participate in GirlsWhoCode, and help plan a career conference as a member of the STEM Leadership Club.

How have your achievements, along with your determination and dedication to all that you are involved in, inspired other teens to become active just like you?
Before I began my shop, what hindered me the most was my fear of failure. If I had seen others my age take initiative and become successful, I would’ve been more eager to venture into what is now my greatest achievement. After DyenosaurApparel took off, many of my peers asked me for advice to start their own businesses. It’s like a ripple effect. By achieving my own goals, I can encourage others to reach for theirs.

Vivian will be featured in Issue 33 of Inspiring Teens Magazine. Check out some of her designs at
https://viviannguyxn.wixsite.com/website

click here for more information on issue 33

Click here to nominate an inspiring teen

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Trinity Jagdeo

4/18/2020

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Trinity Jagdeo - New jersey
Interview by Zoe D’Angelo
Nomination by Scott Ehlin
Photography by Image Is Everything Studios
Issue 32 of Inspiring Teens Magazine

The Nomination: Trinity Jagdeo started her 501c3 nonprofit organization at 17 years old. She publishes and illustrates books featuring kids with special needs and disabilities as superheroes. She is also a motivational speaker and travels to different colleges, schools and organizations. A portion of the proceeds made from the books goes to a family in need. She reads for different programs and special needs schools. This year she is hosting a fashion show for the disability community at The Landis Theater in celebration of her two-year anniversary. She hosts "Spotlights On You" including people from the disability community and young entrepreneurs.

Photography by Image Is Everything Studios

Tell us about the nonprofit organization you started.
I started my nonprofit organization because of my best friend of 13 years who has spinal muscular atrophy. Throughout our friendship I learned the difficulties and financial struggles that people face with disabilities. Also, I learned how underrepresented the disability community is, so I decided to create a nonprofit that inspires people with special needs and disabilities. I publish and illustrate books that feature kids with disabilities as superheroes! And, a portion of the proceeds made from the books goes back to a family in need.

Photography by a friend

Tell us about the fashion show you are hosting.
The fashion show is called, “ I Love Me and My Disability”. My primary focus for hosting this event is to allow the disability community to be proud of who they are and what they look like! Our participants include people of all ages and all different disabilities.

Photography by Trinity

What is "Spotlights On You"? What does it do and how are you involved?
Spotlights On You is a show that I host where I bring on people from the special needs community. The idea is to highlight their journey, as their community is neglected in the entertainment industry. Along with that community, I bring on teens like myself to give them a platform where they can share the great things that they are doing in their community. I host this show, pick the content as well as the people!

Photography by Trinity's mom

Out of all the books you have published, which has been your favorite and why?
I really love all our books! I don’t think it would be fair to pick one book as my favorite as each book is based off local kids with disabilities in New Jersey. Each book is near and dear to my heart as I have created each story line, illustrated and, published each book. The books are so unique, as are the people who they are based off! Each book can be found on Amazon!

Trinity will be featured in issue 32 of Inspiring Teens Magazine!

Click here for more information on issue 32

click here to nominate an inspiring teen

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Alyssa Kyzar

9/12/2019

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Alyssa Kyzar - Louisiana
Interview by Claire Plath
Nomination by Trudy Kyzar
Photography by Luckett Portrait Studio
Issue 26 of Inspiring Teens Magazine

Nomination: Not only is Alyssa Kyzar a 4.0 student, but she has taken on the role of SGA and Senior class president. She is active in her church youth group and has launched a youth missions committee, which she has been elected President. She has developed her own clothing line, “Thiest Threads” to help spread the word of Jesus to other teens. She was a member of FUGE SLA over the summer to become a church camp leader. She is currently enrolled in college classes while in high school.

What inspired you to design your own clothing line, and what is the meaning behind your brand?
Sharing my faith openly has always been something I’ve struggled with, so I had the idea of creating apparel that would open doors to easily share my faith with others. So, I created Theist Threads. What’s that mean? We are all aware of an atheist; someone who doesn’t believe in God. A Theist is the exact opposite. I’ve realized from previous experience, something as simple as a T-shirt can serve as an amazing tool for sharing the gospel with others. The design for most of my products is unclear. I WANT people to ask “Hey, what’s your shirt mean, or what bible verse is that?” Explaining the purpose and meaning behind the design can turn into a life changing experience for another person. My saying is “let’s open doors and wear cool clothes while we do it!”

How do you choose to stay active in your faith through your youth group?
Every day, I try to be a better person than I was the day before. My number one goal of each day is to always stand in the word and share encouragement. Being one of the oldest in my youth group, I try my best to set a good example to the younger ones. I try to keep special bonds and connect with each person. This summer, I created a youth missions committee to help the local community. Growing up in a small town, I learned little things can make a big impact.

Tell me a little bit about FUGE SLA and how you became involved in it.
The camp I got saved at, Fuge, holds a very special place in my heart. This summer, I had the amazing opportunity to be accepted into their Student Leadership Apprentice program. It’s a two week long experience for students who want to gain hands on leadership experience in a camp environment. I was trained to be a missionary, and even got to lead bible study for other students!

How do role models like Sadie Roberston inspire you?
My favorite quote by Sadie is, “My passion is to speak, to write, to encourage.” Even with her large social media platforms, she isn’t afraid to be vulnerable. She’s a loud voice to those in need of an inspiring, nonjudgmental presence in their lives. She embraces her role as a beacon of light and I strive to do the same.

How have you been able to maintain a 4.0 GPA while also being very involved in your community?
I wish I could say it’s easy, but it’s not. The biggest thing is to stay motivated. Only I can change my life. No one can do it for me. I’ve learned not to limit my challenges but challenge my limits.

What do you love most about helping others through your faith?
Serving others has been a Christian tradition since its establishment. Jesus Himself washed the feet of others and died for us! If Jesus, our Master, gave His life in service to others, how can we expect we’ll do anything less? You’ve probably heard the words, “love your neighbor as yourself” a thousand times by now. We live in such an individualistic society it’s easy to get caught up in our own thing most of the time and not even notice the needy. When I serve others, I’m joining the Lord in his work. And gosh, it feels so good.

Alyssa will be featured in Issue 26 of Inspiring Teens Magazine!

click here to nominate an inspiring teen

click here to purchase issue 26

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Emily Williams

3/25/2019

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Emily Williams - Texas
Interview by Larissa Chelius
Nomination by Addison Schale
Photography by Emily Williams, Addison Schale, & Tammy Williams
Featured in Issue 16 of Inspiring Teens Magazine

The Nomination: Emily Williams is inspiring to me because she is hard working, patient and always has a smile on her face. At the age of 17 Emily started her own boutique from the ground up called Ellie Mae. She has put in lots of late nights, money and many phone calls to create a business she has always dreamed of. She is working every day to grow her business so she can eventually make it a full-time job & create a brand out of it. She is only a senior in high school, trying to figure out where she wants to go to college, make good grades & run a business. She always seems to amaze me with her uplifting spirit and hard work. I think that’s pretty inspiring to me:)

When did you become interested in fashion and how did it turn into running your own boutique?
I have always been interested in fashion since I was a little girl. The fun clothes and accessories have always fascinated me. I really began my fashion career my freshman year of high school. I began to find inspiration in older bloggers and that would inspire the style of my outfits. I was always the odd ball out because I didn’t wear a t-shirt and shorts to school like ninety percent of the girls. I dressed up as if I was going out to a nice restaurant. That’s what I love though. Like Coco Chanel said, “The World is your runway.” Every day is a day I can style an outfit and show it off to the world. Which, in the end, is my way of expressing my personality. How fun is that, that men and women can express who they are through styling clothes in different ways? I absolutely love it.

Taking it way back, Ellie Mae (my boutique) started with me bringing it up to my mom one day. I was very nervous because it was way out there. I worked at two boutiques prior to starting my own, and I realized I wanted to do that. So long story short, my mom agreed, and my dad invested. Then, we made a logo, set up a website, bought some clothes, took pictures, set up social media, and took a shot in the dark!

How do you maintain good grades while running the boutique & do you plan on running the boutique while attending college?
This is a tough one for sure. Time management is the key to this one. I organize my time and set my priorities accordingly.
Yes! I do plan on running the boutique while attending college. It’s a one woman show. I take the pictures, edit pictures, do the website designs/editing, all the marketing, shipping, buying new products, everything that goes into, I do (with help from my sweet mom). Regardless, I will be able to find a way to maintain it, especially since I have a passion for my boutique and everything that goes into it.

Do you plan on expanding the boutique?
Yes, I do! I have long term goals for my boutique, and short term. Overall, it is a huge learning experience. Learning time management, service to others, professional manners, financial components, maintaining consistency, and much more.

What advice would you give to others who are interested in starting their own business?

I would say two things. One, never give up. I know it’s cliché, but doubt and discouragement will creep in whether you start one or are thinking about starting one. You have to look past that and remember you are doing what you love. Two, hard work will pay off sooner or later. It took five months before I could start seeing my hard work pay off. It seems like a long time, but once you can sit down and say to yourself, “I did that”, then it was definitely worthwhile.

Emily was featured in Issue 16 of Inspiring Teens Magazine!

click here to nominate an inspiring teen

click here to purchase inspiring teens magazine

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Ashlee Wood

Ashlee Wood - Kentucky
Interview by Olivia Bush
Nomination by Aleshia Martin
Photography by April Manning Photography
Issue 35 of Inspiring Teens Magazine

William Cabaniss

William Cabaniss - Tennessee
Interview by Olivia Bush
Nomination by Jillina Cabaniss
Photography by Vanilla Feeds Tomorrow
Issue 35 of Inspiring Teens Magazine

Vivian Nguyen

Vivian Nguyen - Texas
Interview by Claire Plath
Nomination by Quang Nguyen
Photography by Victoria Nguyen
Issue 33 of Inspiring Teens Magazine

Trinity Jagdeo

Trinity Jagdeo - New jersey
Interview by Zoe D’Angelo
Nomination by Scott Ehlin
Photography by Image Is Everything Studios
Issue 32 of Inspiring Teens Magazine

Alyssa Kyzar

Alyssa Kyzar - Louisiana
Interview by Claire Plath
Nomination by Trudy Kyzar
Photography by Luckett Portrait Studio
Issue 26 of Inspiring Teens Magazine

Emily Williams

Emily Williams - Texas
Interview by Larissa Chelius
Nomination by Addison Schale
Photography by Emily Williams, Addison Schale, & Tammy Williams
Featured in Issue 16 of Inspiring Teens Magazine

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Ashlee Wood

Ashlee Wood - KentuckyInterview by Olivia BushNomination by Aleshia MartinPhotography by April Manning PhotographyIssue 35 of Inspiring Teens Magazine​

William Cabaniss

William Cabaniss - TennesseeInterview by Olivia BushNomination by Jillina CabanissPhotography by Vanilla Feeds Tomorrow​Issue 35 of Inspiring Teens Magazine​

Vivian Nguyen

Vivian Nguyen - TexasInterview by Claire PlathNomination by Quang NguyenPhotography by Victoria NguyenIssue 33 of Inspiring Teens Magazine​

Trinity Jagdeo

Trinity Jagdeo - New jerseyInterview by Zoe D’AngeloNomination by Scott EhlinPhotography by Image Is Everything StudiosIssue 32 of Inspiring Teens Magazine​

Alyssa Kyzar

Alyssa Kyzar - LouisianaInterview by Claire PlathNomination by Trudy KyzarPhotography by Luckett Portrait StudioIssue 26 of Inspiring Teens Magazine​

Emily Williams

Emily Williams - TexasInterview by Larissa CheliusNomination by Addison SchalePhotography by Emily Williams, Addison Schale, & Tammy WilliamsFeatured in Issue 16 of Inspiring Teens Magazine​

Featured

Archives

Categories

Ashlee Wood - Kentucky
Interview by Olivia Bush
Nomination by Aleshia Martin
Photography by April Manning Photography
Issue 35 of Inspiring Teens Magazine

William Cabaniss - Tennessee
Interview by Olivia Bush
Nomination by Jillina Cabaniss
Photography by Vanilla Feeds Tomorrow
Issue 35 of Inspiring Teens Magazine

Vivian Nguyen - Texas
Interview by Claire Plath
Nomination by Quang Nguyen
Photography by Victoria Nguyen
Issue 33 of Inspiring Teens Magazine

Trinity Jagdeo - New jersey
Interview by Zoe D’Angelo
Nomination by Scott Ehlin
Photography by Image Is Everything Studios
Issue 32 of Inspiring Teens Magazine

Alyssa Kyzar - Louisiana
Interview by Claire Plath
Nomination by Trudy Kyzar
Photography by Luckett Portrait Studio
Issue 26 of Inspiring Teens Magazine

Emily Williams - Texas
Interview by Larissa Chelius
Nomination by Addison Schale
Photography by Emily Williams, Addison Schale, & Tammy Williams
Featured in Issue 16 of Inspiring Teens Magazine