[2005] Journalist Profiles

Name: Merlys Alberto
Age: 15
High School: Astor Collegiate Academy (inside Christopher Columbus High School)

I was born in New York City. I am an 80% averagestudent at Astor Collegiate Academy in Columbus High School. I’m a cheerleader and enjoy having fun andbeing myself. In the future I would like to be a crimeinvestigator or a lawyer. I also want to have myown business, and become my own boss.




NAME: Abubeker Ali
AGE: 16
HIGH SCHOOL: Bronx Science

Most people call me Abu, but others call me Booboo or even Anthony sometimes. I love to play with cell phones ALL THE TIME, even though my father took my cellie away. I have a big family of 10 siblings, so I have to share all the time, even though I hate it


Name: Joshua Brooks
Age: 17
High School: John F. Kennedy



Hey everyone, my name is Joshua Brooks Jr. and i am a seventeen years old. I am currently attending John F. Kennedy High School and i am going into my last year. I am on the boys’ varsity football team where i spend most of my time working out and running getting ready for my final season. I have been living in the Bronx all my life and i would’nt have it any other way. When i am not playing football, i enjoy playing the piano, listening to music, watching t.v. and hanging out with my friends. I have hopes to be a lawyer in the future and i plan on attending Penn State University. If i was to describe myself in one word it would be “nonchalant.” I feel that people are always going to try and test you so you have to be ready and you have to prove to others that you are who you are, which brings me to my favorite quote: "I’d rather be hated for who I an than to be loved for who I'm not.''



Name: Cris Chalmers
Age: 17
High School: Astor Collegiate Academy


My full name is Cristopher Kenneth Chalmers, but people just call me Cris. I am a student at Astor Collegiate Academy. I play fullback on the football team. I am 17-years-old. Some of my favorite activities are playing football, video games, and meeting girls. I joined the College Now program for the credits as well as the journalism experience. My goal is to be a professional football player.


Some of my artwork:




Name: Angeline Deschamps
Age: 16
High School: Astor Collegiate

My name is Angeline Deschamps. I go to Astor Collegiate academy in Columbus High School. I'm 16 years old and I was born in the Dominican Republic. My dream job is to be a fashion designer and hopefully work with Giorgio Armani or Ralph Lauren. Well in the real work i would like a career in business management or accounting, but that's not for sure I know that it has many possibilities of changing with time.




Name: Ana Figuereo
Age: 18
High school: DeWitt Clinton



I think being able to go out and die for my country and not being able to drink is just sunflowers and candy! But enough of my “political rants.” I come from a Hispanic home, Dominican to be specific. I live with my mother and I have two older sisters. Creative writing is something that I use as my outlet to relieve stress. The idea of creating poems and short stories to me is quite personal. It's like my blood flows in every piece of writing and that's how they are related to me. I also love to play video games, specifically horror survivor games like Silent Hill and Devil May Cry.




Name: Gallia Kassiano
Age: 16
High School: Dewitt Clinton


I guess I could start off by telling you where I was born and what my childhood was like, but quite frankly I don’t feel like going into it, not to mention that I would probably only succeed in boring you. Instead I’m going to focus on the type of person I am, and since I’m not the type of person that likes to “beat around the bush,” I’ll try to do it in a nutshell, or as you would say in the world of journalism, in a nutgraf. Well, I'm an insomniac, a feminist, a health nut, a rabid procrastinator, an idealist or a pessimist (I can be a half full or a half empty glass type of person, it depends on the mood I’m in). I’m one of those freaks that walks in the rain without an umbrella, dances in their underwear whether it be to heavy metal or disco, reads the back of ingredient labels, and has conversations with their cat. As to my likes and dislikes, they're a mesh of 80’s movies, 50’s rock music, 40’s clothing, 70’s dancing, and 60’s flower power. I guess what it really boils down to is that I’m certainly not your average 21st century teenager, in fact you can call me everything from abnormal to zesty, but don’t call me average.


Name: Zorana Kesar
Age: 17
High School: DeWitt Clinton


I remember waking up to the sound of a rooster, and having to feed chickens in the afternoon, working in the garden with my grandma, and playing hopscotch on the side of the road with my friends. That's what my life used to be like as a young girl growing up in Yugoslavia. Then one day, at the age of 9, my whole world changed when my mother said, "We're going to America." Life has been full of ups and downs ever since. I'm seventeen-years -ld and living in the city that never sleeps, and more specifically in The Bronx. I've learned that you have to work hard to get what you want and then work even harder to keep it. I am so many things. I am a daughter, a sister, a girlfriend, a friend, a dancer, a writer, a great advice giver, and so much more. My passion has always been acting, but from my disapointments emerged a love of writing that I didn’t even know existed. As for the future, who knows what will happen next?


Name: Taryn Mclean
Age: 17
High School: Lehman H.S.
I'm the average 17-year-old. I'm mostly interested in shopping, school and boys.(lol) Although the College Now program only relates to one of my interests (school),it's a good program. Not only do you earn college credits (lol) but you get a taste of the college life being on campus!



Name: Darah Phillip
Age: 15
High School: Bronx HS of Science


I was born in New York. In my free time I like to do lots of activities, such as playing sports in the park, reading books, and listening to music. I like listening to lots of types of music, including Japanese music, which I frequently listen to. I like watching television as well, and two of my favorite shows are That 70s Show and America’s Next Top Model.


Name: Atanu Roy
Age: 18
High School: DeWitt Clinton


My name is Atanu Roy. I am 18 years old. I am actually from Bangladesh and living in the Bronx, as well as in USA for the last 10 months. Currently I am studying in DeWitt Clinton High School. I play volleyball on the school team and also like to play guitar. My aim in life is to be an architect. Under the College Now program, I am taking the journalism class this summer, which, I believe, is helping me to improve my writing skills and giving me a better view on society.




Name: Rachel Sanchez
Age: 16
High School: DeWitt Clinton High School


I’m from Honduras, Central America, but I was born and raised in the Bronx. Generally, I’m quiet and shy, but people that get to know me find out that I’m a fun, crazy yet dependable person. In my spare time, I love reading, watching movies, listening to music (classical and rock are my favorites) and making paper cranes. My goals include going to college to study United States History and traveling to the United Kingdom.


Name: Stephanie Maria Sanchez
Age: 16
High School: HS of American studies @ Lehman College

I was born and been raised in the Bronx. I like to eat, go shopping, sing in my shower, and dance in front of my mirror. My dreams for the future are to one day have my own magazine for teenagers, something along the lines of Seventeen magazine.


Name: Arthur Sanders
Age: 16
High School: S.C.R.L.(School for Community Research and Learning)


I like reading books, hanging with my friends and rapping. I tend to do well in all of my subjects in school. I am currently attending the College Now program. On my spare time I play basketball and video games. Sometimes I can be a very nice poet, depending on the topic. I also like going to very nice restaurants, even if I'm by myself. I work at McDonald’s and at times I can be a hard worker.



Samantha Seodas
Age: 18
High school: F.L.A.G.S.

In my life, I have had many experiences, bad and enjoyable moments, all of which have helped me prepare for the future. My life has not been a bad ride so far, because I have a lot of people who have been playing an active role in my life. Without my family and friends I don’t think I would manage to survive or be the playful, crazy girl that I am. I’m a very cheerful girl and very talkative amongst the people I know really well.
But I try to live up to the reputation of being a “good girl,” so I try to stay out of trouble most of the time, but its hard to resist getting in trouble. Another thing I really work hard on doing is maintaining a good grade point average. The only reason I work so hard on my grade point average is that I want to get into a good college.
I also try not to spend all my time on academics. I try to do other activities that can help my community and activities that can help me relax. Every Friday I do community service for four hours at a soup kitchen. At the soup kitchen we give food away and we serve a hot meal to everyone that shows up. The soup kitchen is named Vive La Pan. Also, for my own personal relaxation, I hang out with my friend and my sisters.




Name: Pratik Shah
Age: 16
High School: Riverdale Kingsbridge Academy
Interests: History; Political Science; Law; Tennis; Chess
Motto: You make your own fate.


I was born here in America. My parents are from India. I love Eminem’s songs. I love to play tennis and chess. I don’t believe in hell or heaven. However, I believe we the people can make Earth hell or heaven according to our decisions.


Name: Kristen Wallace
Age: 16
High School: High School of American Studies at Lehman College


I was born in Kingston, Jamaica, and immigrated to the United States when I was two-years-old. I enjoy reading, watching obsessive amounts of television, eating, sleeping, going out, and writing. For the first time in my life I have no clue what I want to be when I’m older, but there are occupations that I am considering. I’d like to own and create my own magazine, make documentaries, or, if I ever become brave enough, become an author. My biggest fear is to grow up and not feel fulfilled, but hopefully if I relax, everything will fall into place as it should.


Name: Michelle Yakobson
Age: 17
High School: Hunter College High School



“Look at the hate we're breeding Look at the fear we're feeding
Look at the lives we're leading
The way we've always done before

My hands are tied
The billions shift from side to side
And the wars go on with brainwashed pride
For the love of God and our human rights
And all these things are swept aside
By bloody hands time can't deny
And are washed away by your genocide
And history hides the lies of our civil wars”

~Civil War by Guns N’ Roses