I began writing for Youth Are Awesome in 2013, when I was in the ninth grade. Now, I’m close to wrapping up my second year of University and will be turning 20 soon. This is the story of my YAA journey and beyond. When I walked into my first YAA meeting, I had no idea…
Moving away for (presumably) the first time… It’s a bit of an intimidating thought, isn’t it? In less than two weeks, I will be among thousands of university and college freshmen moving onto campus in a new city. Am I nervous? Not as much as several of my friends, and I credit much of that…
The scorching heat is a reminder of a season embraced by many, but somewhat dreaded by others. That’s right, now’s the time to break out the sunscreen and bikinis, because trips to the pool, lake, or beach are just around the corner. For many of us, along with the promise of fun and the sun,…
Established in 1956 by Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award program has now expanded and now reaches youth in all four corners of the world. Aimed at helping young people develop essential life skills and to encourage well-rounded personal development, the Duke of Ed currently has over 50 000 participants…
In November 2013, I joined Youth Are Awesome and began a writing journey that I have never anticipated embarking on. I had friends from school who were bloggers here and I figured that I’d come out to a meeting and see what it was all about. Now, it’s three and a half years later and…
Our next featured alumnus is Sheliza Kassam, who, during her time at Youth Central between 2009 – 2014, was involved with the Youth Volunteer Corps (YVC), Mayor’s Youth Council (MYC), Youth of Distinction Awards (YODA), Youth Week, and Youth Are Awesome (YAA) committees. “I never really used to volunteer in my community. I was never…
With the 2016 Academy Awards at the root of the cynically popular hashtag #OscarsSoWhite, after no POC (people of colour) actors and actresses were nominated for any awards, The Academy got quite a bit of flack from the public. This year, however, the nominees were considerably more diverse than in previous years. With 35% of…
A little while ago, I was watching Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire and couldn’t help but notice something that struck me as interesting. The robes that the Death Eaters are wearing during the attack at the Quidditch World Cup are eerily similar in design to the white supremacist Ku Klux Klan’s robes. It…
With Donald Trump now officially the 45th president of the United States (I cringe just writing that), the question that many Americans and others around the world are asking is, “What now?” As someone who admittedly knows very little about politics, never mind the seemingly backwards world of US politics, I am in no way…
With diploma exams around a month away, myself and many others have just been hit with the realization, “Holy cow, I have to get studying!” As someone who hates studying with a burning passion (read: doesn’t know how to study without getting bored or distracted within minutes) and can’t find a way to take notes that…
Dear Friend, I would first like to apologize for being quite long-winded, but I have a lot to say and this letter does not even scratch the surface of what would like to express. I do not pretend to operate under any pretence that religion plays an active role in my life any more than…
As much as I am not a fan of starting to celebrate the holidays early, I am an early Christmas shopper. The earlier I’ve made my list, checked it twice and bought all of my gifts, the earlier I can relax and eventually begin to enjoy the season, once its time has arrived of course.…
Disclaimer: For the purpose of this article, I will be using ‘holiday’ and ‘Christmas’ interchangeably because myself and my family celebrate Christmas and my knowledge of other holidays and celebrations during this period is too limited to speak to intelligently. Please don’t bring political correctness into this. To many people, the passing of Halloween signals…
After the backlash surrounding Starbucks’ holiday cup from last year, which featured no holiday or Christmasy imagery, patrons are freaking out again over what many thought was the new 2016 design. Being called out as an attack against Christmas, and by extension, Christian tradition. Do people really have nothing better to complain about? First and foremost, the…
Over the course of the last several years, I’ve noticed a common trend among many of the elementary aged kids that I’ve met and had a chance to talk to: a lack of geographical knowledge. I have met a sixth grader who has been in a public school since kindergarten, who is an all-around good…