Meet the Staff

Charlotte Meeley, or Char, is a senior at Brown and interns at Locust Grove, an interactive museum that combines theater and history. Despite her years of experience as an actor at Commonwealth Theater Center, she doesn’t plan to pursue acting, instead she wants to get her masters in arts administration so she can manage her own living history museum.

As a theater intern at Locust Grove, Char is in charge of props and taking care of the set for the tour, Unfolding the Story. She occasionally works on costumes and contributes to the script. “Locust Grove is a really unique job experience because it gives me the chance to work in an artistic environment that’s kind of overlaid with an office job,” she said. “It makes me have to think about things in a lot of different ways, to make them make sense in both of those environments.”

“I love living history because there’s always something new to work on- planning programs, how we’re using the property for events and shows, writing scripts, you know. I think it’s better than normal museums, like the Frazier or whatever, because there’s kind of this constant evolution going on. We’re always researching and learning new things. Plus, with normal museums, I’d kind of have to defend keeping stolen artifacts, but with house museums, everything’s mostly donated from the descendants and local historians.”

She does already have experience with writing scripts. Last year, she was cast in The Selkie Wife at CTC, a play devised from scratch with Heather Burns and Meg Caudill, the directors of the show. Char played the Selkie Wife, and was involved in the writing process for most of the scenes. She got to work with the rest of the cast to create an interesting and creative story that was a fun watch for everyone who came to see it. 

“Working with the cast was a really great environment- I loved all of us coming together to tell this really creative story and using the mythology and folklore around it to create something completely new. I think everyone really got to express their personality in their characters, which made it fun to watch. When the actors are having fun, I think the audience does, too.”

She’s choosing to leave theater behind because of how competitive it can be and how toxic the environment is. “I think it forces you into competition which makes you see everyone around you as a competitor instead of a peer, and it can be a hard mindset to get out of. You don't want to be stuck in that for your whole life.” She doesn’t want to completely abandon it though, maybe auditioning for a couple shows in college or community theater.

Meet Lena Sabaka, a 15 year old journalist with a passion for teaching, writing, and reading. Lena was born August 27, 2008. The name Lena means “light”. She was given the nickname “Lena Beana'' by her parents. Lena is a sophomore here at the Brown School, and this is her first year attending Ms. Neysa Jones’ Journalism class. Lena is one of seven siblings, and is one of the most creative children in her family.

After graduating, Lena sees herself in college, earning a teaching degree in order to teach special needs children. She would prefer to stay in Kentucky to achieve this goal. Lena still is unsure of what college she wants to attend. 

Lena is a big reader, which she says is probably her favorite thing to do. She describes herself as creative, introverted, and sympathetic. Lena is really caring towards others, but her favorite person is her youngest sister. 

Lena is not a big animal person, but her favorite is a fox. She discovered this when she was riding in an area around her house. They spotted the fox, which was an uncommon sight in that area, and she developed love for the animal. Although her favorite animal is a fox, she wishes to have a cat as a pet. 

If Lena were to win the lottery, the first thing she would do is care for her parents and siblings. This shows how amazing Lena Sabaka is as a person. I think she is a great addition to this class and the newspaper.

15 year old Kailey Stolte is determined and invested in everything she does. Being an incredibly strong student, and a focused individual, with a wide array of hobbies, it is clear that she is passionate about the things she enjoys and puts time and effort into everything she has accomplished.

Stolte has been a student at the Brown School for 8 years and has flourished in the academic setting. Not only is she an enthusiastic member of the environmental club, but is also an avid writer, artist, future science olympiad, and journalist. Her talents don't stop there. In addition to being a wonderful student in school, she also pursues academics in her free time, such as learning French, taking classes over the summer, and honing her writing skills.

Now, let's get into more about what makes Kailey Kailey; she has two twin brothers and one half sister. She also has many pets: two dachshunds and a fish, all whom she loves very much. 

When she isn't studying, Kailey enjoys playing tennis, creating art, and listening to music. While playing for the Brown tennis team, she also loves to practice by playing with her family. Additionally, she is a very talented artist. Although familiar with many types of media, she prefers to work with watercolors and pencils. She is also very fascinated by architecture and likes to sketch buildings and designs. She loves to perfect her art as much as she can, even taking in-school art assignments home to continue working on them. Some of her pieces don’t even end as they began; many start as one thing and end up as something else.

What is art without enjoying music while drawing? Kailey enjoys a vast variety of music, but typically leans to more indie music and k-pop. Some favorite bands and artists of hers include Twice, Red Velvet, Aespa, Beebadoobee, Clairo, and The Marias, which she mentioned because I enjoy listening to them too.

Although Stolte already has a very respectable repertoire, she has even more planned for the future. She aspires to attend Yale, but also has a list of schools she would like to attend, such as Northwestern, Boston University, or Columbia. She states that she aims high for success, but also wants to be realistic when applying for schools.

Where is this high education pointing to? Well, Kailey plans to be an international journalist. With her go-with-the-flow attitude and adaptability, she plans to travel Europe as a reporter. Of course it's always good to have a backup plan, so if journalism ends up not being the career path to follow, Stolte would want to pursue professional writing. It is clear she has a passion for creating, whether that is through her art, writing, or influencing change though the community. We know she will make it far and have a great impact on the world.

Bug Bowles is a junior at the J. Graham Brown School. He is both creative and community driven. Bug has been in the Bear Necessities school newspaper for the past 2 years. This year, he is going to be an amazing addition to the Tech Team and the Editorial department. 

After completing high school, Bowles sees himself majoring in theater at either Bellarmine University or the University of Maryland because his idol Jim Henson went there. In his free time, he enjoys making skits and doing improv bits with his friends. He also enjoys other creative outlets like drawing.

Bowles is also a member of the Pep Club. He has been a part of this club since the beginning of his high school career. He says that being in pep club has been a good experience because of the other members. He thinks the pep club feels like a little community, and he enjoys planning important and memorable events for the school. 

All of his creative hobbies are not only a great outlet to be creative, but are also something that will help him with his future career as an actor. 

With how innovative and selfless Bug is, he will make for an awesome person to work with. He is going to produce some amazing pieces in the editorial department. 

Christian Harrison is a sophomore at the J Graham Brown School. Some of his hobbies include gaming, music, and chess.  After talking to him, I have found an ongoing pattern: his interest in fashion. 

Christian hopes to either attend the Amsterdam Fashion Institute or the Berlin School of the Arts. The Amsterdam Fashion Institute provides a wide variety of thought-provoking courses,  ranging from fashion design to business and development. The Berlin School of Arts provides an even broader range of curriculum; there, they provide courses for every form of art, varying from architecture to acting to fashion design. 

Ten years from now, Christian sees himself working at Off-White as a creative director. Off-White has parallel ideals with Christian, as they both value free thinking, creativity, and suspended disbelief.

His favorite book is Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison. In this book, the author touches on the topic of racism and how that can be an obstacle when trying to create one's individual identity and break limitations. 

Throughout the time I have taken to get to know Christian on a deeper level, it has become apparent that he is a visionary that understands the importance of individuality in this modern society.

Peytience McMillen has been at the J, Graham Brown School since her freshman year, and is now entering her last year of high school. Between the stresses of being a senior about to go into college and having a full time job, she has found the time to remain at peace as she prioritizes herself and her needs. 

Some of her hobbies are cheer and hanging out with her friends. Despite her desire to live somewhere along the coast or in Washington when she is older, she has been thinking about going to Bellarmine or Claremont McKenna for International Relations. The thing that has motivated her throughout this tough last year of high school has been getting college paid for.

Over her summer break, she vacationed in Morocco and was able to look at other cultures and ways of life outside of western society, which is something that she was grateful for. With all of her ambition and determination, she will be a great addition to the news department of The  Bear Necessities.

Have you ever thought about being an aspiring drummer in Louisville? For many years, Sophia has been invested and interested in the arts, playing in the orchestra at Brown for as long as she’s been able to. Sophia practices her instrument regularly and was a part of the orchestra when winning distinguished in several competitions. One thing that makes her special: she doesn’t brag. Even though she’s got every right, she is very humble and empathetic.

Not only that, she played in the River City Drum Corps even longer than the orchestra. RCDC is a cultural arts institute that uplifts youth and allows them to make music while connecting to their roots as African-Americans. I think her time and energy spent as a musician has helped her become more perceptive, and helped her socially as she made friends through RCDC. She explained to me that being in a band requires you to listen and focus on the entire ensemble, while also making sure you are where you need to be. 

She’s very passionate about music and has devoted much time towards it. Rounding out Sophia as a person is a very daunting task, as she has so much going on. Her musical talent mixed with wanting to be in the medical field means she’s always busy! I think Sofia’s time at RCDC and Brown have shaped her into an amazing student, artist and friend.

Lucy O’Brien is one of the most busy and active people I know, with all of her after school activities. She manages to do a lot of activities, along with keeping up with school and other things. 

All of her activities are different and impressive, and they’re one of the things she is the most proud of. I was able to interview her and find out more about her.

Lucy is a 14 year old freshman at the J Graham Brown School. Her favorite subject is math, and she’s currently taking 2 math classes. (Geometry and Algebra 2) She plays many instruments, sings, plays hockey, does cross country and track, and dances. With all of these hobbies, she obviously has a very busy schedule, with activities basically every day. Lucy is very thankful for all the opportunities her parents give her for all her activities, and she is very passionate about everything she does. 

“I’m so grateful that my parents can support everything I do,” she said, “If I had a sibling, I probably wouldn’t be able to do everything that I do right now.” 

One of Lucy’s hobbies is ice hockey. She often travels to Nashville for camps and different clinics, and to watch professional hockey. Her favorite team is the Nashville Predators. 

Her dream job is commentating for the NHL, and as soon as she turns 16 she will be interning for summer sports. In the future, she would also like to move to Nashville. 

Lucy also plays a lot of music. She plays electric and acoustic guitar, bass, and ukulele, and she also sings. She takes lessons and performs for School of Rock, and has been in many different groups and played a lot of different genres. Her favorite genres are punk, rock, and pop. A few shows she's been in are 80’s pop, emo, karaoke hits, and pop punk. Lucy loves being on stage, and she said it has really helped her become more confident and come out of her shell. 

With all of these activities, it’s obvious that Lucy has a lot of things going on. So how does she manage everything on her schedule and complete school work? Well, she uses time in the car to do homework, and she completes work during breaks in her activities. 

When she doesn’t have any activities going on or school work to do, Lucy loves listening to music, being with her family & dogs, watching TV, and going outside/gardening.

Here are some facts about Lucy that you might not know:

• She loves going to animal sanctuaries.

• She's vegan.

• She has been dancing for 12 years.

• She has two dogs, Indy and Kona.

• Her lucky number is 84.

• She has a garden.

• Her first name means light, her middle name (Pacific) means peace, and her last name is Irish. Her nicknames are Lucy Goosey and Luce.

• Her biggest fear is millipedes/centipedes.

• She used to love dinosaurs, and if she could time travel she would go to prehistoric times.

• If she could eat one food for the rest of her life, it would be tacos because you can change them up!

Kayley (also known as Kay by close family) is a sophomore member of the Bear Necessities News Department. Kayley has two sisters, one of whom is Kayley’s twin, Lillian, who is a student here at the J.Graham Brown School and also writes for the Bear Necessities. Their oldest sister is currently attending graduate school in Iceland. 

Her favorite of her relatives would have to be her uncle, who she'll likely be working for soon. Additionally, their family has 5 pets- one dog and four cats. 

While the future may be worrying, Kayley hopes to move out of Kentucky as an adult. She aspires to go to college out-of-state and join the medical field, but she’s unsure what aspect of medicine she wants to be part of.

Being a student at Brown School comes with one simple caveat: once you know someone, you know them forever. That fact is becoming particularly evident to me as I enter my senior year at Brown. Watching the students who were always in the classes below me start to morph into grown-ups with tangible goals is terrifying.

Lu Schmidt’s growing-up is one of the scariest. He and I met when I was in 8th grade and he was in 6th; we grew up side by side throughout middle school, especially since we went to school and did theatre together. The older students and I would look out for him at the bus stop. As we began to get our licenses, we would find ways to get him and his fellow underclassmen to the theatre after school, dividing non-drivers between cars and sometimes packing in like sardines to get there. 

I remember being in a class with him right before COVID hit during my 8th grade year, when he confessed that he would prefer to work in tech rather than perform onstage. Everything shut down soon after, but once we returned in full swing, he was working hard side-by-side with our theatre’s stagecraft professionals. Then, his freshman year, we watched him spread his wings and start working outside the conservatory- a huge step in the high school theatre world, especially for someone so young. 

“I think when I worked professionally in theatre for the first time when I was fourteen, I feel like I’m really proud of that,” Lu said of his experience. “It was an all-adult cast and I was kind of on my own tech-wise, so I kind of had to take over for some of the prop design and costume design as well, and it was definitely a different experience from what I’ve had at Commonwealth Theatre Center [CTC] and it was just, it was nice to be able to do something outside of what I normally do.” 

When it comes to theatre, Lu is one of the most driven people I know. He’s dedicated to consistently bettering himself, learning everything he can about stage management and tech work, but he’s also deeply motivated by the people around him.

“It’s definitely the love of the craft, I do really enjoy stage managing,” he said, “but I think it also is a love of the people, as well. I mean, there have been times when I’ve come into CTC with Hannah, the prop designer, and we say we’re gonna work, but we just hang out for two hours instead of actually doing anything. And I’m really thankful to have that kind of relationship with the people I work with and the people around me. And I think I just really enjoy spending time with them.”

Lu is so much more than an impressively committed stage manager. The main way he would describe himself: “I am a hater in my soul. I can talk for hours about how much I hate things. Like, first person, types of stages, aliens. Like, I hate aliens. I hate them. Especially in horror movies. If the twist is ‘oh, it was aliens,’ I want to throw things at the screen.”

However, ‘hater’ is not the first word that comes to my mind when I think of Lu. He’s patient and practical, and his logic and humor shone through even in his ‘hodge-podge’ answers. He was careful to evaluate every aspect of his response, to make sure there were no holes in his rationale. If he could be any age, he said, “I would say a solid, like, twenty-four. I’m old enough to do everything I need to, with a couple extra years, and I feel like that’s just a good age to be, like, most people will assume I’m out of college at twenty-four. Although, the risk for that might be that people assume I don’t have very much experience. And then I can prove them wrong. And then they’ll say ‘why have you been twenty-four for the past thirty-six years, what’s going on here?’ And then they’ll tell the FBI on me, so.”

At his core, Lu is a reflective person who has always been wise beyond his years. He has an enviable sense of direction, but is always careful to show his gratitude for others, even in the most stressful times. “I’m thankful for all of the opportunities I’ve had,” he said. “I’m just, I’m thankful for how everything has aligned in my life… I think I’m just thankful that I’ve been given what I have. And I’m thankful for what I’ve been able to do with that, as well.”

A well-rounded student who indulges in many hobbies and interests, 14 year-old Asha Valentine has been a student at the Brown School since 5th grade. She’s now beginning her journey through high school as a freshman. In an interview, she gave some insight into her life, interests, and hopes. During her time at Brown, she has participated in numerous activities inside and outside of school, and while doing so discovered her passion for filmmaking and writing.

She has always enjoyed watching TV shows and movies, but it is the horror genre that stood out to her and led her to this passion. Some of her favorites in the genre include TV shows such as Killing Eve, American Horror Story, and some others. Although she loves to watch these horror shows, she wouldn’t fancy being in one. She says “If I were in a horror movie, I would probably be a side or supporting character. I don’t think I would be able to kill monsters or be the hero… I tend to panic under pressure.” Asha also mentioned her huge fears of evil spirits and with cults. “They creep me out…cults are weird,” she commented.

In the future, she would like to work in the television field doing either writing or filmmaking. She says she appreciates the work of others in these fields, which is clear to see as she is an avid film enthusiast. She would also love to move to New York when she is older to continue her studies in these subjects.

Aside from her goals for what lies ahead, Asha also has many hobbies outside of school. Last year, she played soccer as the defense position, but didn’t play on the team this year because she wanted to avoid overworking herself. When she can, she likes to play tennis. She also enjoys cooking, as she comes from a “family of cooks,” as she calls it. “I love to cook and just experiment with different things…I cook a lot of different foods.” Asha loves to draw and create art in her free time, as well as listen to music. Her favorite bands and artists consist of, but are not limited to, The Marias, Lana Del Rey, Brent Faiyaz, and Romeo Santos.

In regards to her academics, she is very responsible. Over the summer, she took two online courses: Health (one semester) and Spanish 1 (two semesters). She says that she was able to get the health class done in a matter of hours because of her previous knowledge in the subject and because the course was easy. The questions were multiple choice and accompanied by guiding passages. As for Spanish 1, she said she was short on time to finish and only had a couple weeks, but nonetheless completed the course and is glad she took it. “I’m in Spanish 2 now, so it was worth it!” she remarked. Additionally, she worked on projects for her AP GoPo class, such as reviewing notes on the Constitution and government structure and answering questions on these topics. Not long ago, she applied for a job at Rainbow Blossom and hopes to start working there soon.

But how does Asha balance all these interests and extracurriculars? She says that she is motivated by “being successful for my age and not being stressed.” It seems like balancing her time and knowing her limits is key, which Asha does very well. Undeniably, Asha will continue to strive academically and expand on her ample list of hobbies and interests during her future years at Brown and beyond.

Journee Ruff is one of our new reporters here at the Brown School. She's an up-and-coming fashion designer who recently became interested in fashion. She was inspired by her aunt, who also has a penchant for clothing and design. She loves putting together outfits and coming up with new ways to express herself through clothing. Fashion has become a very important part of her life, and a wonderful creative outlet for her.

Journee has just begun her freshman year and is a member of the girls basketball team. Although she loves fashion, basketball is close behind on her list of favorite things. If possible, she would love to play basketball professionally. She tried soccer once, but eventually decided it wasn’t for her and decided to focus on basketball. She is a strong team player and is hoping to join the high school girl’s basketball team this year. When you go to a Brown basketball game, look out for number three!

Because of her love of basketball, Journee plans to be a part of the Sports section of the newspaper this year. She and the Sports staff will report on the latest news in the Brown School sports world. Make sure to be on the lookout for articles on the ups and downs of Brown Bear sports, brought to you by our very own Journee Ruff.

When describing himself, Edward Elam would say that he is a renaissance man due to his wide variety of music taste.  From metal, to hip hop, to rock, his music taste is a melting pot of genres and it is a big part of his life.  

When learning about Edward, a sophomore at Brown School, one of the main things you notice is that a big part of his life is centered around music. When he was a kid, he would spend a lot of his time listening to music. Rap quickly became his favorite genre, and artists like Lil Wayne and Ken Carson became his favorites because of their lyricism.

His love for listening translated into a passion for playing instruments like the violin, viola and cello in the elementary school orchestra. Even though he stopped playing these instruments, it didn’t stop him from creating music. Influenced by rappers like Kanye West and Playboi Carti, he began to make his own songs and even released a few. He says he feels happy when creating music, and he hopes to be able to play instruments like the guitar in the future.  

As Edward gets older, he wants to continue to focus on his music by creating his own and learning new instruments. However, he plans to go to college for something in the fields of coding and technology. No matter what, music will always be a big part of him and it helped him to become who he is today. 

Have you ever met someone who is simultaneously the most creative and outgoing person ever- but also the sleepiest? Naolin Wilson fits that description.She loves art and comes up with very different creative ideas. When with her friends, she is incredibly funny and has an amazing personality. However, if you catch her at school, she is most likely taking a nap during class.

Naolin was born in Louisville, Kentucky on July 24th, 2008. Her nickname given to her by her mother was Annabannana. Even though the nickname doesn't have a specific meaning, it has always been what her mother calls her. She is now 15 years old and attending the J. Graham Brown School as a sophomore. She has been at Brown since kindergarten. She has 13 siblings who are all older than her. 

Her favorite things are her animals, sleeping, and rollerskating. She has 2 dogs and 1 cat. Their names are Nekko, Nila, and Luna. She likes to roller skate whenever she can because she has really good friends there and it makes her really happy to improve her skills while having fun. Because she loves to roller skate, she’s considering getting a job at Champs Rollerdrome.

She is yet to figure out where she will be going to college, however, she does want to major in psychology. She plans on moving away from Kentucky in her future to a more quiet and private place like Oregon because she's not a fan of Louisville. Even though she plans on moving to Oregon, her dream place to go is either Dubai or Michigan because of the beautiful landscapes and past relationships.

Cara Jackson is a new member that we are so thrilled to have on our Journalism team for many reasons. Cara is a creative person with several talents, so let's find out what they love to do outside of writing and reporting.

Cara is a 15-year-old freshman at the J. Graham Brown High School. She enjoys taking art classes, and loves to use her artistic abilities outside of school as well. Cara said, “One thing I am very proud of is my style. I love to be able to create new outfits every day. Though I’ve been sort of interested in the same style since around 4th grade, I’ve worked very hard to build it up throughout the years.” Creating is one of many things Cara loves to do which includes making art projects in art class, styling her outfits, making jewelry, sewing, baking, and writing. 

One thing you may not know about Cara is that she plays the electric guitar. She takes private lessons at School of Rock. She plays on a blue and white Telecaster Guitar, and she even put some stickers on it. I asked her what her favorite genres or bands she loves to play or listen to are, and she said, “On guitar, I play a lot of different genres, but outside of guitar I really like Alex G, Ichiko Aoba, and Beabadoobee.” Though she isn’t in a band, playing guitar is one of her favorite things to do to pass time. 

Once Cara graduates high school, she hopes to go to college but isn’t sure where yet. In about 10 years she would like to be fully graduated and living by herself where she can hopefully pursue her dream of becoming a marine biologist. Ever since she was young she’s had a huge interest in oceanic creatures, a seal being her favorite. “I’ve always loved sea creatures. One of my favorite activities to do is visit the aquarium, even though there isn’t one nearby. I really enjoy seeing all the animals up close. I think they’re all so cool and unique,” Cara stated. Before she starts diving into the world of marine biology, a job in a craft store would satisfy her liking. This ties back into her love of art.

A few more fun facts about our new member are…

• If she could have one superpower, she would have teleportation.

• She would love to travel to Paris or New York.

• Her biggest fear is bugs, especially centipedes and millipedes!

• Her favorite color is pink.

• She has a female cat named Purin.

How well do you know your peers? I never knew someone so fashionable could also be so smart! Lillian Starnes is a package deal. She’s a sophomore. Most probably know her as 1 ⁄ 2 of the twins, however, she also has an older sister. She vacations at the beach in Florida where she can relax in the summer, and loves her cat Bittie, who she received as a gift. She surrounds herself with people that make her happy and feel “like light.” If she could, she would travel back in time to 2022, simply to relive the great year. Lillian has matured greatly in the past few years and is both grateful for and resentful of this growth, as she sometimes feels like she grew up too fast and is skeptical of others. However, the growth she experiences has helped shape her mind. Her favorite color is red, her favorite food is fried rice (although she enjoys pasta as well), loves study skills and penguins. She plans to move out of Louisville after graduation, but  isn't sure where she wants to go from there just yet. 

As most of you know, Lillian is a twin. Her twin, Kayley, also works on the Bear Necessities. Although they may look alike, they are definitely not the same person! Their parents have always encouraged their individual identity. 

If Lillian could, she would visit Dubai to ride camels and shop in vibrant souks. Lillian says if she could stay the same age forever, she would be 21 years old and follow all her dreams.

Lillian is more than a pretty face. She is also a great writer. She enjoys writing fiction, specifically about her own experiences. She morphs her own experiences into stories that are interesting for the reader. She has experience journaling, which is good for everyone. Journaling is a “healthy medium,” she says. “It's important to express your emotions and come to terms with the feelings you have bottled up.” She is very excited for Journalism, especially because it's her first class with the lovely Neysa. She is excited to make new friends by talking and learning with different people from different grades and backgrounds. She doesn’t know many students in Journalism, so give her a friendly face when you see her and get ready to read her awesome articles in the paper!

A freshman at Brown, whose name is Matilda, has some pretty creative hobbies and is here for an interview today. We started getting close last year,  but I honestly didn't know much about her. She was named after Natalie Portman's character in Leon the Professional, but her nickname is Tildy; it was just a nickname given to  her when she was younger. 

She is 14 years old and has one younger sister. She describes their relationship as both destructive and lovely. Matilda loves her little sister, along with her friends.  She also has 2 snakes, 4 dogs, a lizard, and a pig; as you can tell, she is an animal lover. Her favorite animals are otters.

Her favorite relative is her aunt, because she always makes sure Matilda is doing okay, also making her laugh. She wants to be a special effects makeup artist. In 10 years, she said she sees herself going to concerts and living it up just like she was as a teenager. She would also like to live in New York. She describes herself and loud, sensitive, and silly.

When given the assignment to interview Ben Clevenger, I was excited to practice my interview skills. Since I knew Ben from the year before, I thought it’d be easier because we have an existing connection. 

Based on Ben has told me, it seems he is a bit pessimistic about himself. When asked what he was most proud of, at first he said nothing. I urged him to think of something, and he came up with being proud of getting the most goals in elementary school soccer. When asking what words he’d use to explain himself he said “antisocial, annoying, and tired.” I did not want to ask why he felt this way, as it felt very personal.

One thing Ben was confident about was that he wants to get into law. He said he wants to see himself in law school in 5 years, and when asked what job he’d want he said “law or content creation.” Content creation is a big difference from a job in law. I asked him to elaborate on why he chose these two professions and he said “Content creation just seems fun, and law seems like something I could do for the long run and be something I'm good at. Content creation is more of a backup plan.” While being set on the law idea, he would like to stay in Kentucky and he does not have a preferred college, however he has been researching colleges. 

I asked Ben the question “how do you think your presence would positively impact the newspaper?” His answer impressed me. He said his father is a well known photographer, and he could get lessons so he could become a photographer for the newspaper. Ben does not believe his hobbies could help his work in the newspaper, but I disagree. I specified to him that any hobby can help him in the newspaper because it can give him story ideas. 

I believe with a bit of support, Ben's personal view of himself could become a lot more positive. This support could be from his friends, classmates, teachers, family, and especially himself. Believing in yourself is one of the first steps to improving your self image.