If you have ever been involved in the area of giving back in the city of Calgary, Alberta, chances are you’ve either met or heard of Hui Wen Zheng, a core member of various youth volunteer and leadership initiatives. Hui Wen, a 17-year-old friend and volunteer to many in Calgary, uses her actions…
To most violinists, buying a violin made by Stradivari, Guarneri, Guadagnini, or Amati is an absolute dream. To luthiers, producing an instrument to the likes of those great makers is a life-long venture. And Joseph Nagyvary made that venture a little bit easier. Joseph Nagyvary was a chemist. Born in 1934 in Szeged, Hungary, he…
You read that correctly… I want to explain my tips and tricks for being a good night owl and how I optimize the later hours of the evening. For many years I have felt pressured to be an early riser and I can definitely see the validity in waking up early and going to…
I discovered American poet Nash Consing purely by chance. Scrolling through my Instagram feed on a late May evening nearly two years ago, I came across a collaboration between Nash and fellow Instagram poet, Alexa (@ar_poems). I subsequently followed Consing’s account, and perhaps it was the mix of writing and aesthetics that drew me in…
During this time of year, it’s all about celebrating for us. With gifts, good food and family activities, it’s easy to think that this time of year is the best . But, seeing how we live in cozy, economically stable and safe Canada, it’s hard to imagine that there are millions of children all over…
Standing at just barely 5 feet tall, Jessica Vu is a force to be reckoned with. A grade 11 student at Lester B Pearson high school, she is currently the female with the most YVC hours in Calgary, and recently received the World Changer Award, for having volunteered 1000 (or more) hours with Youth Volunteer…
On Thursday, December 1, I got the wonderful opportunity to go and see Theatre Calgary’s production of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. I recommend that you go and see this as soon as possible, it’s really worth it! The next day, I was lucky enough to talk with the star of this amazing production, Stephen…
For as long as I can remember Harry Potter has been in my life. It started with my dad taking time at night to read the books before I could and then myself going on to reading all 7 another 3 times through. I grew up surrounded by the story and saw each movie that…
Jambo! Habari Gani? Mzuri? Mzuri! And that was it. My level of competency in Swahili reached a grand level of four words. And that’s where verbal communication ended. I didn’t literally comprehend what the children were saying, but their eyes expressed all that needed to be heard. Our relationships weren’t based on anything that could…
I went to Vancouver in the Summer and fooled around with my camera! I finally got around to editing the footage and putting an actual vlog together. I hope you enjoy!! A little piece of my summer to you, to fight these November blues. Featured Image https://youtu.be/1BDsrO_XLAQ
“Be the change you wish to see in the world.” Chances are you’ve almost certainly heard this quote somewhere. Whether it was on Instagram set to a generic sunset background, or pasted up on the wall of your third grade teacher’s room, these words probably sound pretty familiar. This quote is the emblem that anyone…
Now that I’m in Grade 12, I have been reflecting a lot on my experiences so far and how they have made me the person I am today. One of the biggest influences has definitely got to be volunteering. I began volunteering with Youth Central in the summer after Grade 9 through Youth Are Awesome…
I have always been an avid reader. Over the years I have delved into a diverse array of english literature, biographies, sappy love stories and more! Now I am revealing my top ten books in a variety of genres. History, Educational and Scientific: One of my favourite and most diverse areas of books is…
I’m happy to have been the Life Junior Editor since last summer, but I’m even more proud to announce Youth Are Awesome’s new Life Editor who will be taking up my position. Overcoming Failure: You Can Do It! was Hafsah Syed‘s entry into YAA and since then, she has been known for her articles about self-improvement,…
ear Senior Me, If there was one person who fell into the “grade-11-is-the-hardest-year” trap, it was undoubtedly you. Though procrastination, taking on too many things at once, and not using time wisely are seemingly the qualities of any high school student, as the year dragged on, you became the poster child for it. It didn’t…