Inspiring Teens Magazine Features

Kennedy Cott

1/13/2020

Kennedy Cott - Texas
Interview by Zoe D’Angelo
Nomination and Photography by Angie Read Photography
Issue 29 of Inspiring Teens Magazine

The Nomination: Kennedy Cott joined the Power Team '20, my model rep team, late in the year, and got plugged in immediately. I love that she is such an active participant on my team. I've learned that anything that Kennedy does, she gives it 110%! She has been in FFA, doing floral design for several years, and she also raises and shows her lamb, Snow Flake.

When I met Kennedy, one of her interests that most impressed me was her involvement in politics. Kennedy is involved with Turning Point USA. The organization’s mission is to identify, educate, train, and organize students to promote the principles of freedom, free markets, and limited government. She has traveled to Dallas, Washington DC, & West Palm Beach, FL to attend 3 TPUSA leadership summits this year. She is also a member of Congressman Dan Crenshaw's High School Ambassador team. She attended the Congressman's student leadership summit in Houston this year and was recently invited to attend his Christmas party to interact with donors and other guests. She is attending Sam Houston State University where she will major in political science. At SHSU, she will be an active member of the campus's TPUSA chapter and be involved in student government. After graduation from SHSU, she will apply for law school and pursue a career in politics.

Kennedy is a smart and very driven young lady. I'm so proud to know her and wait to see how her promising future unfolds!

Photography by Angie Read Photography

Tell us about your involvement with Turning Point USA.
My involvement with Turning Point USA consists of attending conferences and summits across the country. President Trump, as well as many other great speakers are always a treat to hear from, and it’s definitely a great experience every time I get to see my turning point friends in a new city!

Where has been your favorite place you have traveled? Why?
My favorite place I have traveled has to be Washington DC. Whether I’m there for a summit or just with my family, it’s my favorite place to be. It just feels like that’s where I belong and I imagine myself one day living there.

Photography by Angie Read Photography

How did you get involved with politics?
I got involved with politics entirely on my own, and that’s a question I get frequently. Most people assume my parents pushed me into it but really, they have nothing to do with it. I just started by watching the news and forming my own opinions and it’s just taken off from there.

Tell us about your modeling program. What is it like?
My power team modeling for Angie Read Photography is so much fun! She really cares about how we act and what kind of people we are, rather than only superficial things. She’s taken some amazing images of me and It’s been a very good experience.

"Taken on my phone, non professional. Me with Senator Ted Cruz" - Kennedy Cott

If you were not majoring in political science, what would you be majoring in and why?
If I didn’t major in political science or pre-law, I’d probably choose nutrition science. Nutrition has always been a topic I am interested in and I really enjoy learning about it. If wasn’t going into the political science or law field, I would love to be a nutritionist.

Kennedy will be featured in Issue 29 of Inspiring Teens Magazine!

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Dawson Holder

4/5/2019

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Dawson Holder - Texas
Interview by Zoe D’Angelo
Nomination and Photography by Lisa McNiel Photography
Featured in Issue 16 of Inspiring Teens Magazine

The Nomination: Dawson Holder is open and warm, his smile and quick easy hugs put people at ease. Dawson has always been beyond his years. He is an avid reader, loves to sing and listen to music and has been acting since he was seven. He enjoys having conservations all day long with grownups. His hungry mind has him constantly reading books and acting in musicals. In addition to Music Theatre, he's involved in choir, debate, and politics and enjoys reading, singing, dancing, and writing. His favorite memory is singing in Carnegie Hall with his friends, and his favorite quote is from Brave New World by Adous Huxley, “But I don't want comfort. I want God, I want poetry, I want real danger, I want freedom, I want goodness. I want sin.”

Theatre, Politics, and Law!? Oh My!

What has been your favorite role in theatre and why?
Last year, I played Donkey in Shrek the Musical at my high school. During the rehearsal process, I strove to redefine Donkey as so many had seen the character portrayed on the big screen. I did not want to be a mere imitation of Eddie Murphy’s Donkey; I tried to invent and impress upon the audiences’ minds Dawson Holder’s Donkey. The role forced me to delve into the depths of my theatrical giftings and stamina to sing, dance, and act my way across the stage for at least an hour and a half every night. Though the production is titled Shrek the Musical, after seeing the play, many family members, friends, and even strangers claimed that I carried the show on my back. This experience made me realize that I should never choose to audition for a role for its perceived notoriety; instead, I should audition for and perform in parts that challenge me to grow as an artist and offer opportunities to exert my leadership in unexpected ways.

What is your favorite thing about being involved in politics?
Well, I started musical theatre at the age of seven and have been in over thirty productions since. However, when looking for a career, I wanted to pursue something that would not only appeal to my creativity but also cater to my passion for logic and rhetoric. Politics seemed to be the perfect way to do just that. And even though a career in politics started off as a convenient way to indulge my interests, it has really developed into a way of life that I love. I wake up every morning, listen to political podcasts, and read the New York Times. I am most excited about going into politics because I will be doing something that I cherish and helping thousands of Americans at the same time. I plan to change the foundations of the way we do politics. I am tired of seeing divisiveness between political parties and intend to champion compromise as a political candidate and officeholder.

How do you plan to pursue a career in politics?
It is quite difficult to just go into politics unless you are a political scientist or campaign manager, and I figured that the best way to establish credibility within communities would be to become a lawyer. I have recently decided that I want to be an entertainment lawyer, so I can become a producer on Broadway. I already know the interworkings of theatre from an actor's perspective, and I have always been a big-picture kind of guy. After a decade or so of that, I will move on to run for office as a U. S. senator.

Dawson was featured in Issue 16 of Inspiring Teens Magazine!

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Philadelphia March for our Lives

4/5/2018

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By Julia James

On Saturday March, 24th 2018 the city of Philadelphia took part in the March for our Lives movement to end Gun Violence. The Philadelphia march was just one of an estimated 450 marches that took place over the weekend.

My friends and I were just four of the millions of people that took part in these marches, all for one common purpose, change. Although it was the negative effects of gun violence that led to having these marches, participating in the march overall was an uplifting, inspiring, and empowering experience we'll never forget. To be surrounded by a city full of people fighting for the same cause as you, and hear the speeches given full of emotion it's extremely inspiring.

The streets were full of posters held up with messages promoting change. Even people at our train station had their posters in hand. My friends and I made posters of our own as well. Many people stopped us to ask for photos of our posters, as well as thanking us for taking part in the cause.

The atmosphere was just so positive and supporting. From the moment we got off the train, we had goosebumps looking at all the signs and people. There were so many people, but it felt like we were all one, all there for one reason. My friends and I have held a strong opinion on the topic of gun violence, and although many people have challenged us on it, participating in the march only made our feelings stronger.

People have said getting kids or teens involved in politics too young isn't a smart move, however, we are the future. It's important to hold a strong opinion and fight for what you think is right. However, these marches were not limited to just teens. People of all ages attended and voiced their opinions. Even famous people took part in the D.C. march, using their platforms to promote and spread the message we are trying to get across.

Seeing the turnout to all the marches, we are confident this cause will not die down. Our voices will be heard and changes will be made. Enough is Enough. Not one more.

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March For Our Lives in Washington D.C.

4/1/2018

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-Mykal-Michele Longino

It is almost impossible for me to put into words how powerful the March For Our Lives in Washington D.C was. I attended the event with a group called the Bucks County Youth Council, a teen group in bucks county affiliated with the Bucks County Links Incorporated dedicated to grooming teens into tomorrow's leaders today.

Our day started off rough with the delay of our bus, but improved quickly when the bus arrived to JFK early, and our chaperones bought each us matching shirts to rep the cause. We made our signs, zipped our coats, and were finally ready to march.

While on the metro I couldn’t help but think about the history cemented into the concrete of the capital, all the way from Martin’s March on Washington to the most recent Women's March in 2018, and I knew in that moment that we were going to be apart of history. Anytime a person or a group of people can bring a crowd together to unite around one a common goal is impressive--but when that group of people are high school students, who have picked themselves up from something so tragic and turned their story into more than just a statistic but a revolution.

The students from Stoneman Douglas High School are an inspiration to kids like me and all over the world. The whole crowd could feel the passion in their voices when sharing their stories. You could literally see the tenacity in their cause by just the simple look on their faces. These kids aren’t joking, and they certainly aren’t afraid of a challenge. The issue of gun control in America is one that has crippled society since the authoring of the constitution itself, and while it is no longer 1787 Americans are still allowed the same freedom with weapons that they were when African-Americans were deemed ⅗ of a person.

And while in past years the issue of the second amendment was deemed a strictly political matter, the intellectuals that spoke at the march made it clear that this is no longer about politics, it’s a matter of life or death, it’s about the bigger picture. And while it makes me so happy to see students my age getting their voices heard on such a monumental level, I couldn’t help but think about the kids who have, and continue to live through vile acts of gun violence everyday, and these kids don’t get the same amount of likes and retweets, because of the zip code on their mailboxes, and the color of their skin.

But what was so admirable to me about the students of Stoneman Douglas, was that they got on that stage and said to the world that they know they did not start this fight, and that where they come from had a huge factor in the platform they were given--but they choose to share their stage. They said in their speeches that they are going to use their privilege to help the black and brown kids, and use their resources to speak the truths of the students who have been silenced.

The crowd surrounding me was amazed. I heard someone in the crowd say “ wow, this is the generation that is going to do it,” and after hearing Martin Luther King’s granddaughter come out and say “I have a dream that enough is enough” I knew that this march was going to change things.

This march made me proud to be 18 in 2018. I had always been invested into politics and dedicated to social justice, but this march sparked something different in me. It wasn’t that it inspired me to do more, because I know that there is always work to be done to better society, but this march showed me that there is no reason why I can’t make a difference in this world.

17 kids died because in America everyone has the right to bear arms. 17 mothers, fathers, sisters and brothers are without their loved ones because in America it is easier to get a gun then it is to obtain cold medicine.

I am so proud to have stood with over 800,000 people in Washington D.C on March 24th, and I am so proud to be of the generation that gets congress to pay attention. We are the kids of America, and we will use our first amendment rights to make sure that guns are put into the hands of only those who are worthy of the responsibility.

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Make America Safe Again

3/28/2018

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Aly Chronister

My name is Aly Chronister, I’m a senior and I live in Sand Springs, Oklahoma.

On March 24, 2018 I participated in March For Our Lives in Tulsa, Oklahoma. I marched for my uncle’s son who passed away due to gun violence in 2009 and for my two brothers to feel safe in school. I have a 13 year old brother who is autistic and he is in seventh grade, and my other brother is only nine months old, I want them both to grow up in a world without fear of gun violence.

I’m 17 and I will be turning 18 in June so I registered to vote at the march, I’ve never felt more powerful. At the march I saw a lot of teenagers with very strong voices and opinions, adults who were telling us how amazing we were and how they will always stand behind us, and young children with signs that broke your heart.

One little boy’s sign said “It’s my birthday today, make sure I get another!”

I also met a nine year old girl who made her own shirt, it said “guns are dumb,” she talked to me about gun violence and Donald Trump through over half of the march. She made me have hope in our next generation to continue our fight for gun control. She was very intelligent, sweet, and very mature for her age, I will truly never forget her for as long as I live.

The march affected me by letting me express myself, my opinions, and letting me use my voice to stand up for what I believe in. Gun control has been important to me since Sandy Hook, when a gunman killed 20 children and 6 adults. This topic should have went through in 2012 when this tragedy happened. Now, here we are 6 years later, on February 14, 2018 and a gunman took town 14 children and 3 adults.

The students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida organized all these marches and I’m so proud of them. I’m proud of myself and all of the other students, children, and adults who are standing for gun control. I’m going to stand for gun control until I take my last breath, I will never give up on this fight because I’m tired of seeing children fear for their lives. This march has forever altered my life and our voices will just get louder and stronger as time goes on. I love all of the people I’ve met on this experience and we’re just getting started. It is truly a life changing, unforgettable experience that I will cherish for the rest of time.

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Kennedy Cott

Kennedy Cott - Texas
Interview by Zoe D’Angelo
Nomination and Photography by Angie Read Photography
Issue 29 of Inspiring Teens Magazine

Dawson Holder

Dawson Holder - Texas
Interview by Zoe D’Angelo
Nomination and Photography by Lisa McNiel Photography
Featured in Issue 16 of Inspiring Teens Magazine

Philadelphia March for our Lives

By Julia James

March For Our Lives in Washington D.C.

-Mykal-Michele Longino

Make America Safe Again

Aly Chronister

Featured

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Kennedy Cott

Kennedy Cott - TexasInterview by Zoe D’AngeloNomination and Photography by Angie Read PhotographyIssue 29 of Inspiring Teens Magazine​

Dawson Holder

​Dawson Holder - TexasInterview by Zoe D’AngeloNomination and Photography by Lisa McNiel PhotographyFeatured in Issue 16 of Inspiring Teens Magazine​

Philadelphia March for our Lives

By Julia James

March For Our Lives in Washington D.C.

-Mykal-Michele Longino ​

Make America Safe Again

Aly Chronister

Featured

Archives

Categories

Kennedy Cott - Texas
Interview by Zoe D’Angelo
Nomination and Photography by Angie Read Photography
Issue 29 of Inspiring Teens Magazine

Dawson Holder - Texas
Interview by Zoe D’Angelo
Nomination and Photography by Lisa McNiel Photography
Featured in Issue 16 of Inspiring Teens Magazine

-Mykal-Michele Longino