How Gentrification Has Affected Me

by Enoch Naklen

I’ve watched the construction of 111 Montgomery in my Brooklyn neighborhood of Crown Heights since it was nothing more than a large empty lot.  There was a playground nearby where my brother and I always played competitive 2v2s basketball with the neighborhood kids.

My Case for Examining Existing Stalking Laws

by Luca Bernstein

One day, I was sitting outside with my mom and her friends at a coffee shop when a 50-something looking man who looked like The Dude from The Big Lebowski complimented me on my bicycle and asked if he could take a picture.

Writing contest winners winter 2023

Four times a year, we ask our readers to write about the impact recent stories have had on teens around the country. In Winter 2022-23, we had a range of responses from writers connecting to stories about family, race, online culture, self image, and the importance of a name.

Gaming While Female 

by Erika Yeung

Names have been changed.   The first video game I played, when I was nine, was Call Of Duty: Black Ops III, a first-person shooter game. The player experiences the action through the eyes of the protagonist in a three-dimensional space. I loved the adrenaline rush that it and other games gave me.

​​​New NYC Program Provides College Funds to Teens in Foster Care

by Faith Ornstein

I am a high school senior in foster care. I have started my college applications and I know I won’t be able to pay every dollar for tuition, room and board, and other essentials. So when my editor at Represent told me about Mayor Adam’s announcement about a college financial assistance program for NYC-based youth in foster care, I wanted to learn more about it.  

Writing Contest Winners FALL 2022

Four times a year, we ask our readers to write about the impact recent stories have had on teens around the country. In Fall 2022, we had a range of responses from writers connecting to stories about mental health, race, and speaking out.