My Bay Area Love Letter
Soon, I will be making the great college migration, leaving the Bay Area, my home of 18 years for the…
Soraya Shockley
Smart And Socially Inept
In high school, I was known as the smart girl; not the fun girl or the nice girl, but…
The Smart Girl
In less than a month, Soraya Shockley will leave for college. The new phase of her life holds promise, and some dread.
Unlocked: Juvenile Probation Reformed
Back in 2000, Wayne County made some major changes to its juvenile probation system, making the program more therapeutic. Before reforms in Wayne County, the recidivism rate for juveniles was about six in ten kids. Now the recidivism rate is low — holding steady at around 16 percent.
Unlocked: From Probation to Incarceration
In recent years, Alameda country’s incarcerated juvenile population dropped by half. Now, instead of using detention centers that remove kids from their homes, judges are ordering young offenders into the probation system. But the system presents hidden challenges.
So Over The Rainbow
When I found out SCOTUS ruled in favor of same-sex marriage, I was bursting with excitement; so much so that I broke into a little happy dance and felt a twinge of American pride. But I also know the reality of this landmark decision: the fight for actual factual equality ain’t over yet. Not by a long shot.
A Teen’s Take on Education Technology
Remember when a TI-84 was the most technologically advanced tool in the classroom? I don’t! Tech has always been a…
Letting Go Of A Loved One
Let me set the scene: 1) my grandpa had Alzheimer’s 2) He had just moved in with my family 3)…
Baltimore: A Turning Point In This Generation’s Civil Rights Movement?
All over the country, young people like me are having strong reactions to the youth movement in Baltimore. With each young man killed by police, my peers and I feel anger and frustration, but that’s not all. This is our generation’s Civil Rights Movement.