Essays from our Inspiring Teens
A topic that I am very passionate about is pediatric cancer awareness.
As a pediatric cancer survivor I know first hand the extent of treatments and how treatment options are lacking. The federal government only allocates 4% of the cancer funding to pediatric cancer and that is unacceptable.
In the last forty years they have not made much headway in pediatric cancer research due to this lack of funding. Pediatric cancer patients are being treated with the same chemotherapy medications that were given back in the 1980's and facing the long-term effects from these drugs.
We can do better! Join me and be a voice for pediatric cancer patients and their families.
Eliy Simmer – Michigan
Nomination by Joy Simmer
Photography by Capture by Cassie Photography
As a pediatric cancer survivor I know first hand the extent of treatments and how treatment options are lacking. The federal government only allocates 4% of the cancer funding to pediatric cancer and that is unacceptable.
In the last forty years they have not made much headway in pediatric cancer research due to this lack of funding. Pediatric cancer patients are being treated with the same chemotherapy medications that were given back in the 1980's and facing the long-term effects from these drugs.
We can do better! Join me and be a voice for pediatric cancer patients and their families.
Eliy Simmer – Michigan
Nomination by Joy Simmer
Photography by Capture by Cassie Photography
Hi I am Alexis Tobin from Indiana and I am featured in issue 63 of inspiring teens magazine. I would like to talk about dance because it has helped me come a long way with my confidence and self-esteem. I have become close friends with some of the girls and dance is like a second family to me. I feel that other teens should have the opportunity to have something special like this in their life.
When I am at the studio nothing else matters besides dancing. Dancing is one of the best things I have ever done. It's stress free and I get to be with my friends. Dancing at the studio and on stage are two different things. In the studio you are not nervous about performing in front of a crowd full of people. When you have to perform on stage, you're going to be nervous because there's a lot of people staring at you but, you want to make sure you don't mess up. If you do, it’s ok. You just have to work on it after you perform. When you're at a competition you can’t be messing around. You have to be serious but still have fun at the same time.
One of the best things to do at competitions is to sit in the audience with your best friend that's also on the same team as you. When you know a song, you sit there and sing it together and it’s a memory you won’t forget. That's also another thing about dance is you get to make the best memories that you get to keep forever. Dancing has made me a better person overall. When you're a dancer you have to have a lot of strength to help you with what you're doing. When you're doing your turns, you have to have core strength to help you get around and stay in the turns as long as you can. The goal is to do as many turns as you can without falling. If you fall, then you have to get right back up and do it again and again until you get it. Then you have to continue to practice until you have it down really well. I think turns are most definitely the hardest thing to learn because you have to be patient to learn the proper technique.
The most important thing for any skill is strength. I feel like dancing can help you mentally and physically. Dancing is one of those things where you have to love what you're doing to move forward. If you don't love dancing, you're not going to get anywhere with it. If you don't have passion for it and if you're going to become a dancer, you need to be serious about it. You can't just walk in and say let’s get this over with you have to love doing it. If you don't love dancing, then try a different sport. If dance isn't for you then that's ok but it definitely holds a lot of fun times and memories.
Alexis Tobin – Indiana
Nomination & Photography by Moments in Time by Kimberly Kreuger
When I am at the studio nothing else matters besides dancing. Dancing is one of the best things I have ever done. It's stress free and I get to be with my friends. Dancing at the studio and on stage are two different things. In the studio you are not nervous about performing in front of a crowd full of people. When you have to perform on stage, you're going to be nervous because there's a lot of people staring at you but, you want to make sure you don't mess up. If you do, it’s ok. You just have to work on it after you perform. When you're at a competition you can’t be messing around. You have to be serious but still have fun at the same time.
One of the best things to do at competitions is to sit in the audience with your best friend that's also on the same team as you. When you know a song, you sit there and sing it together and it’s a memory you won’t forget. That's also another thing about dance is you get to make the best memories that you get to keep forever. Dancing has made me a better person overall. When you're a dancer you have to have a lot of strength to help you with what you're doing. When you're doing your turns, you have to have core strength to help you get around and stay in the turns as long as you can. The goal is to do as many turns as you can without falling. If you fall, then you have to get right back up and do it again and again until you get it. Then you have to continue to practice until you have it down really well. I think turns are most definitely the hardest thing to learn because you have to be patient to learn the proper technique.
The most important thing for any skill is strength. I feel like dancing can help you mentally and physically. Dancing is one of those things where you have to love what you're doing to move forward. If you don't love dancing, you're not going to get anywhere with it. If you don't have passion for it and if you're going to become a dancer, you need to be serious about it. You can't just walk in and say let’s get this over with you have to love doing it. If you don't love dancing, then try a different sport. If dance isn't for you then that's ok but it definitely holds a lot of fun times and memories.
Alexis Tobin – Indiana
Nomination & Photography by Moments in Time by Kimberly Kreuger
Know your self-worth and hold your own opinions.
We are the next generation and we need kids who will grow up to be strong leaders by showing these specific characteristics.
Madison Shelton – Tennessee
Nomination by Jessica Shelton
Photography by Michael Scott Evans Photography
We are the next generation and we need kids who will grow up to be strong leaders by showing these specific characteristics.
Madison Shelton – Tennessee
Nomination by Jessica Shelton
Photography by Michael Scott Evans Photography
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
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
A topic I would present in front of my peers is self love. Over the years self love has been traveling towards the negative side than the positive. Plus all the quotes that are supposed to be “inspiring” but now because how much it has been told, it’s losing power. Then there are the influencers. Teens start to change themselves to be like them when in reality it only puts a cover on them. It is not bad if we follow trends, just personalize it. To end, I don’t like quotes but have made my own because I grew tired of the others.
“When we copy, we cover, but if we use less the better.”
Maya Martin-Cubbage – Maryland
Nomination & Photography by Erica Land Photography
“When we copy, we cover, but if we use less the better.”
Maya Martin-Cubbage – Maryland
Nomination & Photography by Erica Land Photography
“Rescue animals aren’t broken, they’ve simply experienced more life than other animals. If they were human, we would call them wise. They would be the ones with tales to tell and stories to write, the ones dealt a bad hand who responded with courage. Don’t pity them. Do something. Help to rescue. Donate. Volunteer. Foster. Adopt. And be proud to have their greatness by your side.” [Author unknown] I, McKenna Myers, rescue horses within a 501c3 equine rescue called A and A Horse Haven. A and A Horse Haven was founded by April Pearson, a mother of three, who has a dream to save as many horses as she possibly can. The rescue has been active for just a few years, but has already made an extreme impact on so many of our equine friends.
Many horses brought into the rescue are extremely scared of everything because of the harm caused by previous owners. Horses come in emotionally and oftentimes physically harmed. Gashes, scars, and broken bones are all common when a horse gets brought into the rescue barns. After A and A Horse Haven founder, April Pearson, examines them personally, we get them examined by a veterinarian as well. After we determine all the physical issues, we decide the care that the horses will need in the future whether that be medical or behavioral care.
All horses received by the rescue stay in the quarantine barn for a minimum of 30 days. After they are released they are posted on facebook as well as their webpage, aahorsehaven.com, so that interest for each horse begins to gather. Once interest is shown on a specific horse, the potential owner has to go through a fairly lengthy adoption application process. Once that is done, we invite the future equine owner to meet their future equine friend to decide if they are compatible for each other. After that decision is made, we either load up the horse for the owner to take home for a trial period or we find a horse more suited for the hopeful owner.
A and A Horse Haven is a non-profit organization. This basically means that we rely on the good will of God to provide funds needed for buying horse supplies, as well as funds needed to get horses from sale barns or slaughter. Each horse adopted is put under a contract that states that you can not sell, breed, etc. the horse that you adopted. Each horse also has an adoption fee that must be paid in order to pick up your horse. Adoption fees are based on the behavioral issues of the horse, the medical bills that have been paid on the horse, as well as previous supplies used to care for the horse upon adoption.
Speaking, writing, or typing about the importance of rescues, especially one that I hold so near to my heart, is one thing that I could talk about for hours. The dedication of each worker within the rescue is unmatched to anything I have ever witnessed. I am forever grateful for the opportunity to get to work with them!
Mckenna Myers - Kentucky
Nomination & Photography by Mark H Herron PhotoArtistry
Issue 63 of Inspiring Teens Magazine
Many horses brought into the rescue are extremely scared of everything because of the harm caused by previous owners. Horses come in emotionally and oftentimes physically harmed. Gashes, scars, and broken bones are all common when a horse gets brought into the rescue barns. After A and A Horse Haven founder, April Pearson, examines them personally, we get them examined by a veterinarian as well. After we determine all the physical issues, we decide the care that the horses will need in the future whether that be medical or behavioral care.
All horses received by the rescue stay in the quarantine barn for a minimum of 30 days. After they are released they are posted on facebook as well as their webpage, aahorsehaven.com, so that interest for each horse begins to gather. Once interest is shown on a specific horse, the potential owner has to go through a fairly lengthy adoption application process. Once that is done, we invite the future equine owner to meet their future equine friend to decide if they are compatible for each other. After that decision is made, we either load up the horse for the owner to take home for a trial period or we find a horse more suited for the hopeful owner.
A and A Horse Haven is a non-profit organization. This basically means that we rely on the good will of God to provide funds needed for buying horse supplies, as well as funds needed to get horses from sale barns or slaughter. Each horse adopted is put under a contract that states that you can not sell, breed, etc. the horse that you adopted. Each horse also has an adoption fee that must be paid in order to pick up your horse. Adoption fees are based on the behavioral issues of the horse, the medical bills that have been paid on the horse, as well as previous supplies used to care for the horse upon adoption.
Speaking, writing, or typing about the importance of rescues, especially one that I hold so near to my heart, is one thing that I could talk about for hours. The dedication of each worker within the rescue is unmatched to anything I have ever witnessed. I am forever grateful for the opportunity to get to work with them!
Mckenna Myers - Kentucky
Nomination & Photography by Mark H Herron PhotoArtistry
Issue 63 of Inspiring Teens Magazine
"The video is about talking to a group of Liv's peers about society and social media today and how it can cause struggles and insecurities in adolescent girls. Allowing individuals to know their worth not because of what they see in the media." - Lara Thompson
Liv Thompson – Kentucky
Nomination by Lara Thompson
Photography by Jim Tincher Photography
Issue 63 of Inspiring Teens Magazine
Liv Thompson – Kentucky
Nomination by Lara Thompson
Photography by Jim Tincher Photography
Issue 63 of Inspiring Teens Magazine
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.
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
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.
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
Scotlyn Banfield – Oklahoma
Nomination & Photography by Laci James Photography LLC
Issue 63 of Inspiring Teens Magazine
Nomination & Photography by Laci James Photography LLC
Issue 63 of Inspiring Teens Magazine