Inspiring Teens Magazine Features

Jacob Mashburn

3/2/2019

Jacob Mashburn
Interview by Larissa Chelius
Nomination & Photography by Andy Phillips of TAP Photography
North Carolina
Issue 15

The Nomination:
Jacob Mashburn is a friendly and outgoing high school senior. He is a top-quality safety and running back on a highly successful 2A varsity football team. Jacob also runs track and sings in the audition choir. Jacob is active in his community and is a true and selfless friend who is always looking out for others. He excels academically and is an A student in honors and AP classes, as well as two college courses.

However, perhaps the quality that most stands out about Jacob is his perseverance in the face of adversity. He never quits and he never gives up. He had an ankle injury his freshman year requiring two surgeries, and a fractured hand his sophomore year. He had knee surgery his junior year for a torn left ACL and just had knee surgery his senior year for a torn right ACL. Jacob endures and is right there all week to encourage and help his teammates in any way he can, including leading them in prayer. He plans to attend the University of Tennessee at Knoxville to study to become a physical therapist.

How do you manage your time with varsity football, track, and audition choir?
Thankfully, audition choir is held as a class during the school day so the only time it overlaps with football is when there is a concert. On concert days, I go to football practice as long as I can whilst still giving myself time to prepare for the concert. Track is required by the football team coaches. They make sure that the players stay in shape throughout the off-season. Track is held during the spring semester and football is during the fall so nothing really overlaps.

How has taking 2 college courses along with AP’s and honors classes affected you?
Taking college courses and AP classes has its ups and downs. Being an athlete, the workload can sometimes be immense if you’re taking more than one at a time. However, I love feeling challenged in my work and feel like I am learning more than by taking a general class. I also feel as if the classes have prepared me for college classes.

How did you stay involved with the team after one of your many injuries occurred?
Staying involved in my team after my injury just came naturally to me. I feel like the support they offered and the love that I felt from them really helped keep me engaged. Also, I was always told that I was a leader on the team and I wanted to do everything I possibly could to help them out. My teammates are still my family and I want to be there for them just as much as they were there for me. It also helps that the game of football is such a huge part of life in my community.

What advice would you give to other players who obtain as severe injuries as you?
The main thing that has helped me out the most is to stay involved in your team and let people help you. Pride is a big thing to overcome but the sheer amount of help that I got truly helped get me through the toughest times. I also feel like getting out and around as much as possible is key. Don’t get down on yourself no matter how hard that may be. Another thing is to find something that will occupy your time. Try out a new hobby or something that you may have been putting off for a while!

Have your injuries influenced your decision to become a physical therapist?
I believe that my injury was the entire reason that I decided to become a physical therapist. The connection that I made with the people who helped me out was one that I still cherish today. They had an incredible impact on my life and I could really see myself doing that for the rest of my life. Helping people and making that much of an impact is something that I feel like would bring me joy forever.
What made you want to attend University of Tennessee at Knoxville?
One weekend this summer we went on a college visit to UT and I just fell in love with everything about it. The people there were just so incredibly friendly, the campus was amazing, and it just had this feeling that it felt like it’s where I belonged.

Jacob was featured in Issue 15 of Inspiring Teens Magazine.

click here to buy issue 15

click here to nominate an inspiring teen you know

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Lia Kurkimilis

2/27/2019

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Lia Kurkimilis
Interview by Zoe D'Angelo
Nomination & Photography by TAP Photography
Issue 17 | Music
North Carolina

The Nomination: Lia Kurkimilis plays the piano and is the flute section leader in concert band and woodwind section leader in marching band. She is 4th in her class with a 4.4 g.p.a. and has volunteered over 200 hours. She intends to be a medical examiner, specializing in forensic pathology.

How did you become so interested in playing multiple instruments? Tell us about them.
My desire to play multiple instruments stemmed from my inheritance of my mom’s flute. I started out pretty poorly, incapable of playing even three notes-- but the more I used music to cope, the more I improved, and I knew I wanted to express myself through other outlets. I became interested in playing the piccolo when I joined marching band. It was such a bold instrument that I knew I had to learn it. I have always loved the piano; it’s my dad’s favorite instrument, and there is something really cool about being able to sit down at a piano anywhere and play.

If given the opportunity, would you teach younger students how to play instruments?
I would definitely take the opportunity to teach younger students how to play the instruments I play. I am the flute section leader of my concert band, and I look forward to sectionals in which I can work with the other flutes. Furthermore, every Thursday for the first half of lunch, I meet with three to four underclassmen in order to teach and guide them on playing the piccolo. It is fulfilling to be able to share something I love so much while learning a couple things myself.

How do you maintain your outstanding GPA of a 4.4 with your extracurricular activities?
I balance my academics and extracurricular activities through a structured schedule. If a deadline is not in my planner, it’s not in my brain. As long as I stay slightly ahead of my homework, I will have time to do the things I enjoy; more work now means more play later.

Tell us about some of your volunteer opportunities that landed you with over 200 hours service.
I have volunteered with many clubs and organizations, but some of my favorites have been my work through the Yancey Humane Society and the VolunTEEN program at Blue Ridge Regional Hospital. I instantly see the results of my work at the humane society, where simply walking a dog can coax them out of the fear of abuse. At the hospital, I served in the ER and main lab, helping patients on the front lines as well as behind the scenes.

What are your plans for the future?
I am fortunate enough to have received an academic scholarship from Wofford College in Spartanburg, South Carolina, where I plan to major in pre-medicine biology. I will then study pathology in medical school and forensic pathology in a state-based fellowship. I am passionate about advocating for the victims of homicides, suicides, and accidents, who can no longer speak for themselves; I will strive to bring justice to them and comfort and closure to their families.

Lia will be featured in Issue 17 of Inspiring Teens Magazine.

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Trey Boone

2/21/2019

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Trey Boone
Interview by Michelle Sicard
Nomination and Photography by TAP Photography
North Carolina
Issue 17

The Nomination: Trey Boone is a high school senior and a preacher of the gospel. He plays guitar, bass, mandolin, dobro, banjo and piano. He not only plays but also gives lessons to both adults and school age children. Trey is a volunteer fireman and is dual enrolled in both high school and Community College in the applied engineering program.

How did you become interested in music and what are some artists/bands you look to for inspiration?
I was first interested in learning to play guitar in middle school and I would play with my grandad. It wasn’t long, and I really loved it and started playing in bands. Some of my biggest influences are Tony Rice and Bryan Sutton. I also enjoy playing other instruments such as piano mandolin and bass, and some instruments no one likes such as banjo and dobro.

What advice would you give to a teen/adult trying to learn a new instrument?
The advice I always give to people learning to play an instrument is that you can be as great of a musician as you want to be, but you must have the practice to back it up. This is true because the practice and time you put into being a musician is how well you will be able to play in the end.

What kind of jobs have you performed that inspire you to keep on being a volunteer fireman?
I have always grown up around the fire house with my dad being the assistant chief. It’s always great to know that you can make a positive impact on someone’s life. Being a part of the fire department, you frequently get the chance to make someone’s life better and that is what it is all about.

As a student participating in dual enrollment, how are you able to organize both time and stress of school and your schedule?
School can be hard to juggle alongside a full schedule but when you look toward the end goal you know that one day it will all be worth it. Even though it will be hard now you have to persevere and keep the end goal in mind as motivation.

As a part of a religious community, what are some of your duties and jobs at your church, organization, etc.?
At the Concord Baptist Church I have several different jobs I do from Sunday to Sunday. I am the youth choir pianist, bass player for the choir, I often teach a Sunday school class, and preach when I get the opportunity. This is my favorite place to be and I always look forward to being at church.

What do you plan on doing after high school? Is engineering a possibility?
After High School I will take more engineering courses in the summer followed by an internship in the fall and then I will peruse a four-year degree in engineering. After I am done with school, I hope to get a job in the engineering field and possible pastor a church. I look forward to all that God has in store for my life and ultimately it is His will that matters most in the direction of my life.

Trey will be featured in Issue 17 of Inspiring Teens Magazine.

click here to buy Inspiring Teens Magazine

click here to nominate an inspiring teen you know

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Jacob Mashburn

Jacob Mashburn
Interview by Larissa Chelius
Nomination & Photography by Andy Phillips of TAP Photography
North Carolina
Issue 15

Lia Kurkimilis

Lia Kurkimilis
Interview by Zoe D'Angelo
Nomination & Photography by TAP Photography
Issue 17 | Music
North Carolina

Trey Boone

Trey Boone
Interview by Michelle Sicard
Nomination and Photography by TAP Photography
North Carolina
Issue 17

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Jacob Mashburn

​Jacob MashburnInterview by Larissa CheliusNomination & Photography by Andy Phillips of TAP PhotographyNorth CarolinaIssue 15

Lia Kurkimilis

​Lia KurkimilisInterview by Zoe D'AngeloNomination & Photography by TAP PhotographyIssue 17 | MusicNorth Carolina

Trey Boone

Trey BooneInterview by Michelle SicardNomination and Photography by TAP PhotographyNorth CarolinaIssue 17

Featured

Archives

Categories

Jacob Mashburn
Interview by Larissa Chelius
Nomination & Photography by Andy Phillips of TAP Photography
North Carolina
Issue 15

Lia Kurkimilis
Interview by Zoe D'Angelo
Nomination & Photography by TAP Photography
Issue 17 | Music
North Carolina

Trey Boone
Interview by Michelle Sicard
Nomination and Photography by TAP Photography
North Carolina
Issue 17