By the Amazing Kids! Magazine Staff
Want to know more about the Youth Staff at Amazing Kids! Magazine? Check out our Q&A with some of the staff members; their responses to the question of the month are below.
Allison Stein, Editorial Advisor and Past Editor-in-Chief: For me, the act of writing is deeply personal, and putting my heart on paper takes courage. Like most young authors, I wrestle with anxieties that my work is inadequate or that my story cannot truly reach other souls. When I joined a local poetry group several years ago, I took the first step in overcoming my fears. By actively engaging with my community and exchanging ideas with like-minded individuals, I learned that I am not alone in those worries and that the world is a better place when all of us are brave enough to share our gifts.
Ashley Lin, Assistant Editor, Adult Spotlight Interviewer, and Poetry Editor: As a child, I was extremely shy and quiet. Content to walk in the shadows, keep my ideas to myself. Looking back, I was scared of my ideas and myself being rejected or judged. It was during a passion project my eighth grade year when I realized that I was privileged to have an opportunity to speak. So why am I staying in the shadows? When you find something you’re passionate about, you’ll do anything to make a tangible impact in that field. For me, that was Generation Z entrepreneurship, helping young people follow their passions, and find meaning in school and work. My passion gave me courage to overcome a fear of being different – not being better or worse – but being true to expressing myself.
Sarina Patel, Jr. Assistant Editor and Comic Hub Co-Editor: A time I found courage to overcome my fears and succeed is when I applied for a journalism summer program that my teachers and peers dissuaded me from. Despite their intimidating words and my being scared of the program’s reputation, I considered that I already had experience from writing for this magazine and decided to just apply. I ended up getting into the summer program, which was ultimately a rewarding experience that I would never have if I had been too scared to apply.
Stella Prince, AK Adventures, Nonfiction, and Global Village Editor: My first audition for a local play, when I was 10– I was nervous in the beginning, but I decided to just be brave and try to do my best, and I wound up enjoying the experience. Plus, I got the part!
