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YCM Story of the Week

  • Gaming While Female 

    I’ve experienced sexism and misogyny while playing video games. I’m doing what I can to improve gaming culture from within.

    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.

Recent Stories

  • 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.

  • Coming Home to Harlem

    by Kayla Ruano-Lumpris

    Names have been changed. It was 6th grade recess, and a couple of girls were complaining about how far away they lived from school. I stared off into space, kicking at the fake grass beneath my feet, hoping they wouldn’t ask me where I lived.

  • Of Course I’m Smart Enough

    by Enoch Naklen

    “OK class, we’re about to transition to community meeting! On my count. One!” announced my 4th grade teacher.   One was the signal to push out your seat from the desk.  “Good job we’re moving with urgency! I like it Morgan State!” 

  • 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.

YC Magazine publishes true stories by teens, giving readers insight into the issues that matter most in young people’s lives.

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Video: Stories That Transform

Watch how educators use our stories to support the well-being of students

Represent Magazine

Stories by Teens in Foster Care

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

As a foster youth, I did some research to learn about the details. Here’s what I found out.

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.  

Youth-written stories in Represent give inspiration and information to teens in foster care while offering insight into those teens’ struggles.

Explore YCMag Stories

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More Recent YC Magazine Stories

  • I Am Not My Inheritance

    by Anonymous

    While I was close to my mom growing up, my father was emotionally absent and only seemed happy when he was highly intoxicated. Like a ghost, he came and went. I only saw him briefly before he left for work and after he came home, or during the weekends as he binge drank in the living room.

  • ​​​How My Aunt Became My Mother 

    by Seohee Jung

    My parents argued as I ran from room to room, entertaining myself. I was 6, my brother was 3 and we were living in South Korea. After each lap around the small apartment, I paused and took a look at the woman giving me a tight smile.

  • 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.

Express yourself, get published, win $

Youth Writing Contest

Learn More & Enter

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