Hi, my name is Jesi Abney, and I am a member of Inspiring Teens Issue 64. Imagine sitting in a room filled with a hundred people but feeling all alone or feeling so overwhelmed you are paralyzed by fear and cannot finish even a simple task. These are only a few feelings people experience when having a mental health crisis. Having experienced feelings of depression, loneness, anxiety and contemplating suicide myself, I knew it was time to share my story and help other young adults. I created E.P.I.C., Every Person is Crucial, which is an outreach to young adults by sharing my story in hopes that if I save just one life, I have succeeded.  I have found that it is not enough to tell someone that “you are there for them” or that “they are not alone.” The stigma of embarrassment or that someone is only seeking attention is very real when talking about mental health.  

According to the CDC, 1 in 3 high school students have experienced or are experiencing a mental health crisis. In 2022, Suicide is the second leading cause of death in ages 10-30. What are we doing as a community to turn this around? We have parents who say their children are not “really” having a mental health issue, they are simply seeking attention.  We have a society who looks at those who experience depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts as weird, different, or not normal.  According to the 2022 study by the World Health Organization, ninety percent of the world’s population experienced detrimental effects to their mental health during the pandemic.  What are we doing about this trend that keeps growing, specifically among our young adults?   Our society must open the doors to honest conversations with those experiencing mental health crisis without any judgement.  It is vital that we are truly listening and are seeing the behaviors that are among our family and friends.  We ask people all the time “How are you doing?” but are we really seeking to understand how someone is or is this just a bunch of words that we really do not seek the answer to understand.  

I have found with E.P.I.C. sharing my story has opened conversations with young adults to share their own. I can lead them to a trusted adult who can help them.  I have been fortunate that I have a family who listened without judgement and helped me find avenues to deal with these mental health pressures. Between the constant comparisons and challenges to keep up with the pressure to perform on social media; the expectation of being “always on” that comes with technology, and instantaneous communication are all worsening the mental health with our children, and teens. Young people today are being challenged in ways that are unimaginable and we have parents who are too consumed by their own lives or dealing with mental health issues themselves. This produces children who are lost with nowhere to turn. Our school mental health providers are overworked and simply cannot reach every child in need. Let’s face it, if you are waiting for a child to seek you out for help, it will NOT happen.  
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We all have a responsibility to help. I challenge everyone, reach out to your local mental illness organizations and join task force to help change the stigma and judgement of mental health in our society.  Because every person is crucial, I invite teens to use my social impact initiative E.P.I.C. in your own schools and communities to open the door to honest communication without judgement. Communication and education can change the world, and these are the two vital steps needed to change mental health today.  
 
References: 
Gilison, Daniel. “The Crisis of Youth Mental Health.” NAMI, National Alliance of Mental Illness. April 19, 2022. www.nami.org. 
 
Brunier, Alison & Drysdale, Carla. “COVID-19 pandemic triggers 25% increase in prevalence of anxiety and depression worldwide: Wake-up call to all countries to step up mental health services and support.” World Health Organization. March 2, 2022. www.who.int. 
 
Centers of Disease Control. “Adolescent Behaviors and Experiences Survey.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. March 31, 2022. www.cdc.gov. 
 

Hello, my name is Grace Williams, and I am a member of Inspiring Teens, issue 64. I was once asked the question, "If I were to present a topic to a group of my peers, what would it be on and why?" I have always enjoyed deep conversations and getting to know people on a more personal level, so I thought long and hard about this question. I decided to choose the topic of a lesson I learned in the last months of 2022, and that is how precious life and time are. This is because recently I lost one of the most important people in my life from cancer, my brother-in-law, Lee. I don’t remember a time in my life when Lee wasn't a part of our family. He was more than my brother-in-law, he was my brother. That is why the topic of how precious life and time is is so important to me. I regret not spending more time with Lee, but I am grateful for the time I did spend with him, especially during those last few weeks. One of my main regrets was during the first year when he was first diagnosed with DSRCT (desmoplastic small round cell tumor). For some, life can seem to revolve around sports, school, friends, the arts, and much more. This can cause people to forget to take care of themselves or to be with those who love them. For me, it was dance. I don’t regret dancing, but at the same time I lacked balance and put my priorities in the wrong order, putting dance first, then friends, and lastly my family. In turn, I forgot how precious my time with my family is because I thought I would have more time, but it didn’t work out that way. Maybe you have told yourself: "I have more time," but that is sadly not true. After my family moved in 2019, I realized who I considered myself to be and who I invested my time in was not meant to be forever. Their lives continued on for them without me, yet I felt stuck and lonely for a few years. What I once believed was my life was no longer, and it made me lose sight of those who cared for me and I forget my own worth. Everyone's life is worth something. Sometimes people need to be reminded. By becoming too focused on the negative thoughts and short- and long-term things in life, we can cloud the irreplaceable moments and opportunities we have at any given time. This leads to the second lesson I learned: there is a time for everything in life. Written in Ecclesiastes 3:4, "a time to weep and a time to laugh..." Even though our time on earth will not always be happy, we should value the time we have and the life we live to serve Jesus. That is something Lee taught me, especially during the last year of his life, and how he drew closer to the Lord and witnessed to others. As I mentioned in the blog, even during the time Lee was going through cancer, he lived every day to the fullest. It was not because he was always happy-go-lucky, but even when in pain, he loved Jesus and his family. That, to me, is what it means to live life to the fullest. By appreciating the lives of those around you and the time you get to spend with those who love you, it is important to recognize that not every memory is happy, even though every moment shapes us. So, when looking back, I value the good and the bad (trying not to let anguish ruin my life). By sharing my struggles and lessons I have learned, I hope this inspires adults and teens alike to take an opportunity to be with those that love them, and to cherish the moments one has with the people they love. No one knows when anyone else will die or when we will pass. Death can be sudden, and at other times it is slow and gut-wrenching. So treasure everyone around you because no two lives are alike and each is precious.

My name is Katie Earley and I am member of Inspiring Magazine Issue 64. In my interview I was asked about a topic I would choose to present to a group of peers. I picked my experiences in competitive gymnastics and dance. 
 
My life has been centered and focused around competitive gymnastics and dance. I believe that both of these sports have molded me into the person I am today. I started gymnastics at a young age. Gymnastics taught me so many more things than tricks. I learned how to provide proper nutrition to my body, time management, confidence, facing fear and mental strength. My body was able to provide me with physical strength and the skills, but no one talks about the mental strength that it takes to be a gymnast. In gymnastics you work in the gym 30 hours a week year-round. You are attending school and going straight to the gym 6 days a week year-round. You are working your hardest to perform at 5 or 6 competitions a year.  You eat in the car or at the gym and you do your homework when you get home. You learn time management to work all those things into your day. Gymnastics is a super hard sport, and you need immense physical strength. After a lot of training your body provides you with the skills you will perform but it's prepping your mind that is the hardest. The mental strength that you need to do a back handspring on a piece of wood that is 4 inches wide and 4 feet from the ground not for the weak. You have to push yourself past the fear, trust your body, have confidence and execute. That is just one of the examples of the 4 events or skills you do that you have to have the mental strength for.  Gymnasts make it look so easy but behind the scenes there is a lot of hard work and a lot of mental toughness. When your mental strength isn't in line with what skills your body can do or is doing, this is when there is room for error, and you don't perform at your best or can hurt yourself. 
 
Dance was an easy transition for me due to already being physically and technically trained on some of the skills as the two are similar in a lot of things.  The two performances though are much different. The physical endurance of getting through a high impacted dance routine is a lot different than performing a bar routine, floor routine, vault or balance beam routine. Where those routines are more physically and mentally demanding, dance requires strength in your performance at the same level of energy for 3 minutes. Dancers also train technique for numerous hours, have to learn several routines and remember choreography. This year alone between my studio and high school team I have learned close to and performed 15 dances. I would not change my path because I learned so many things from each sport. 
 
Dance is my true love and passion. It always me to show emotion and I can express myself through movement. I want to inspire other little girls that are aspiring to be a dancer or a gymnast to follow their dreams of it. Neither sport comes easy and is hard work and dedication.  I have loved being part of both and will cherish everything I learned from both. 
 
I have spent a lot of time training and preparing myself mentally and physcially for competitions in both sports. I have loved being in both sports!  I have been surrounded by the best teammates and formed relationships that will last a lifetime. Both dance and gymnastics have taught me how the mind and body work together in the pursuit of success. I am so glad that Inspiring Teen Magazine has let me speak out on these topics for inspiration to others! 
 

Hi, my name is Allie Mathis and I am a member of Inspiring Teens issue 64.  I would like to discuss traveling and the benefits you receive.  It's very easy to get wrapped up in life.  We are involved in school, sports, work, church, family and friend activities.  With all the excitement that comes with that it's good to take a break and get away.  Some people enjoy "staycations" but I prefer to travel around the world.  In my experience traveling offers not only relaxation but a chance to meet new people and experience different cultures.  Once you visit other countries it starts to give you different perspectives on your life.  We enjoy taking cruises.  This gives our family the opportunity to not only relax but everything is provided for us.  There's no social media, television and absolutely no drama.  We get to visit many different countries and we never get bored.  Recently we traveled to the Dominican Republic.  Here we took an open air van and traveled up the mountainside of the DR.  I was able to see for myself the poverty of this country.  Cows were walking down the roads and were starved.  You could see their rib cages.  Children were not in school but rather running down the roads begging for money.  As we rode to our destination I realized how blessed I am to live in a country that is not like this.  We went zip lining and also had lunch made by several of the local people.  They were so kind and told us different stories.  When I asked about the chickens running around one of the men commented, " they are not pets here, look at what you're eating."  I chuckled and realized I was eating one of those chickens.  They also pulled fruit right out of the trees and handed it to my family to eat.  Everything there was fresh.  I enjoyed experiencing the good and seeing the not so good there.  We also went to Puerto Rico.  This is one of the most beautiful and historic places.  We were able to walk to one of the forts there, Fortaleza de San Felipe.  By this fort was the passage that Christopher Columbus sailed through as well as Ponce DeLeon.  It was so interesting to see places that I've only ever read about.  While walking to the fort I also got to see what they call the "ghetto."  This part of town was very run down and poor.  The living conditions were extremely bad and made me appreciate where I live.  I would never have seen this if I did not get out and walk around.  If you travel, experience everything each place has to offer.  If you don't feel comfortable leaving the country there are plenty of places in the United States to visit.  It is all about "getting away" and relaxing.  I have found by doing this it not only clears my mind and gets me ready to tackle the next weeks of my life but it also has made me appreciate what I have.   I have met some pretty incredible people that I still keep in touch with today.  You never know who you might meet or things you might discover.  I will always encourage anyone I meet to at least take one week a year to get away.  I intend to continue to travel throughout my life.  I plan to enjoy every moment I have and appreciate all cultures around me.  
 

​Hi! My name is Kaitlyn Denton and I am a member of Inspiring Teens Issue 63. I want to talk about one of the questions I was asked by the Inspiring Teens Magazine Team. I was asked “If you were to present a topic to a group of your peers, what would it be on and why?” I would present my Faith to a group of peers. In no way am I perfect but through Jesus Christ, I am perfect to Him. I am redeemed and forgiven by His grace that has set me free. I would share how He has shaped me into the person I am today and how He can do the same for them. I could talk for hours about Jesus and what He has done for me. 
 
Backtracking, for more than a year now I have been consistently spending time with God just as I have always wanted to do. I have seen God work in amazing ways over that time span. I have witnessed God work through me, my family members, and friends after praying for them. He also has shaped me into who I am today and I am fully convinced that the friends He has sent into my life over the past couple of years were to shape me into a better person. They truly do bring out the best in me and I am so thankful for them. This past year, God gave me multiple friends that have also helped me grow closer to God. We have done Bible studies together, prayed with each other, given loads of advice to each other, and grew in our Faith together. It’s a friendship I have always wanted and I know it will last forever. 
 
In my lifetime, I have had a few instances where I made the wrong choice but by the grace of God I am forgiven. God forgives us for our sins as long as we believe in our hearts that He is Lord, confess with our mouths, and repent of our sins. I want others to know that God will forgive them; all they have to do is confess. No matter what you’ve said or done, God will forgive you but you have to take that first step in confessing. God is here for you and wants you to come to Him. His grace will set you free and you will feel relieved when you no longer have that weight on your shoulders. I would also like to tell my peers that God created us just as He wanted. We are perfect in His image. Do not discourage yourself if you think you aren't smart enough, pretty enough, or even funny enough because God created YOU perfectly in His image. You are enough and you are here for a reason! 
 
To summarize, God has helped me in a numerous amount of ways and I want my peers to understand that He can do the same for them. You are also perfect in His image and nothing can take that away. 

​Kaitlyn Denton – Tennessee
Nomination by Kendl Reagan
Photography by Rural Southern

​Hi! I’m Sara DiVittorio from North Carolina and I will be featured in the 63rd issue of Inspiring Teens Magazine. One topic that I’m very passionate about is the idea of dance as a sport. Dance is generally regarded as an art form and nothing more and although dance is a form of art, it is also a grueling sport that requires mental and more prominently physical work. For all my hard work, it infuriates me for someone to go “Oh I could do that”. Most people don’t understand how incorrect this statement is because they don’t have insight into what it is to be a dancer.

I am an Irish dancer and have been dancing for over 12 years, so let me give you a little bit of background information. For Irish dancing, we put on wigs, makeup, sparkly dresses, which can blind you from what is truly under it all: hard work. I personally spend a minimum of four days of week at dance class and closer to competitions I am in the dance studio just about every day and this doesn’t include the extra work I am doing at home. We, dancers, work our bodies to the point of exhaustion and yet, we are still not considered a sport? In what way is a football player or a soccer player working harder than a dancer? The answer is that they’re not.
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We go up on stage and do what we have worked for the same as someone does on field or court. We practice just as hard and with the same physical effort as those training for their next game. Trust me our ab, leg, and arm workouts are exhausting. We work for hours on end to give our absolute best for only 2 minutes on stage. Yet, dancing is belittled and called not a sport even called easy, just because we do it in makeup and sparkly dresses. Why should our looks affect the status of what we work for? This is why dance is just as much a sport as football or baseball or any other conventional sport that you think of.

I’m so happy to be in the Issue 63 of Inspiring Teen Magazine and I’m very happy that I, Sara DiVittorio from North Carolina, could talk about this topic which I am so passionate about.

Sara DiVittorio – North Carolina
Nomination and Photography by Words & Pictures by Jeannie DeSena