• The Quiet Library of My Mind

  by Arina Limarieva

  When I was 5, my family had to move from Luhansk, Ukraine, to Kyiv to escape the 2014 invasion by the Russians. From my earliest memories, there has been chaos, which I got used to. It’s taken me years to figure out that I prefer calm—and to find ways to achieve it. 

• How I Became a Confident Reader

  by Anonymous

  In elementary school, I had an experience that nearly turned me off reading.  My teacher, Ms. W., selected me to read aloud to the class. I took out a book about various forms of light, hoping the images I found fascinating would also entertain my classmates.

• Lift Every Voice

  by Enoch Naklen and City Council Member Rita Joseph

  YC writer Enoch Naklen and New York City Council Member Rita Joseph collaborated on this op-ed in conjunction with the passage of two resolutions that CM Joseph introduced. Those resolutions mandate that all NYC high schools support a student newspaper and provide ongoing data about those journalism programs.

• My Competitive High School Wasn’t for Me

  by D.Z.

  Names have been changed. As I approached high school, I applied and was accepted to Brooklyn Tech, a highly competitive public high school in New York City. Brooklyn Tech is one of the eight “specialized” high schools in the city that admit students based on an entrance exam.

• Beyond the Book

  by Sama Daga

  One day when I was in the 8th grade, I sat at the dining table over my biology textbook, stressing about the next day’s quiz.  “Mrs. Holly down the street said her daughter, Riley, is struggling with math,” my mom shouted from the kitchen.

• In Four, Hold Seven, Out Eight

  by Ava Wong

  As I stood in front of my 9th grade math classmates, I wished to be anywhere else. My teacher had cold-called on me to answer the question on the board. As I stood there my heart pounded, and it was so hard to breathe that it felt like a mountain had fallen on top of me.