Nadiya grew up in SE DC. She likes to shop and she likes music, like R&B and rap. Her favorite artist is Lightshow. She attends Marshall University and plays basketball for them. She likes telling people what she wants to be in life and what she's going to do is to accomplish her goals.
Read MoreMecca was born in Boston, MA and grew up in Washington, DC. She attends Tennessee State University. She wants to continue poetry and to become a social activist.
Read MoreGerald was a student at Ballou Senior High School when he authored his books. He grew up in Southeast DC. He likes sports, like basketball and football. His favorite rapper is Montana of 300. He hopes to go to Virginia Tech, where he can play football and continue practicing archery. He has four siblings, three nieces, and two nephews. He lives with a single parent in a house full of joy.
Read MoreEssence grew up in Maryland and DC. She likes all types of music and plays the clarinet. Her favorite artist is Mary J. Blige. She plans to get her license for cosmetology. She keeps diaries and likes to write about her life.
Read MoreDreonna is a strong-willed person who always has intentions to succeed. She is from SE DC but she assure you that her character opposes the stereotypes of her city. She loves laughing, playing the trumpet in the Ballou Majestic Marching Band, making people happy, and trying to be great at everything that she does. She is free-spirited and seen as a role model to many. She loves life.
Read MoreDaSean went to Ballou High School when he authored his book. He is in AVID, taking all honors classes. He is a very athletic person and likes to play sports.
Read MoreWriting for the Ballou Story Project was a challenge for Charles'e. She had never expressed her experience with people. She felt this helped release some mental tensions she has faced.
Read MoreCarl was born in 1998 on December 13. He is a very outgoing, open-minded person, and he loves to play sports and travel. He loves writing and using what he knows to make people proud. He views life and the world from a different perspective from everyone else.
Read MoreAijah grew up in in Washington, DC. She attended Ballou Senior High School when she authored her book. She graduated in 2017. She is a band dancer at school. She dreams big dreams for herself and plans on going to college. Sometimes she writes poems for fun. Writing for Our Lives Matter was a good opportunity to tell people that it's good to try.
Read MoreMy name is Najae Purvis (she/her). I was in middle school when I wrote my first book with Shout Mouse Press. I am currently a freshman in college studying engineering and am working on getting business registrations for multiple ventures. I plan on being a licensed architect, realtor, and entrepreneur. In my free time, I like to do creative projects like art, fashion, and design.
Read MoreRose attended Imagine Hope Tolson when she authored her book. She likes to run track and play basketball and her favorite color is pink. She likes technology and in her free time she likes playing on her iPad. She likes cooking and doing hair. Writing this book is a pleasure to her because she gets to talk about how black lives matter.
Read MoreJ’yona is very athletic. She dances, sings, plays basketball, softball and tackle football. Her experience as a football player on a boys team was very fun and terrifying at the same time and she would do it all again. She went to DC Prep Edgewood Middle Campus when she authored her book. She likes to eat fries and bacon (separately). Her favorite colors are purple, blue, and pink. She wants this book to inform kids around the world that don't experience these events to know what is going on in our world.
Read MoreT’Asia was in middle school when she wrote her first book The Day Tajon Got Shot and was 18 when she wrote What It Cost US. She is a graduate of Benjamin Banneker High School and is currently working and trying to reinvent my clothing business. When she’s older, she would like to be in the art field, working in fashion, painting, drawing, and modeling. She wants readers to know that when things get hard, you can still persevere and find things that make you happy so that you can keep pushing.
Read MoreJeanet attended Imagine Hope when she authored her book. She likes to dance and sing and play basketball with her best friends. She loves to read and write. Her favorite book is called Esperanza Rising by Pam Muñoz Ryan. This is the first book she has written and so far she has liked it! She hope that Tajon could still live, but she hopes that people will understand the book so they can change their attitudes and be more peaceful as a nation.
Read MoreShamya attended Ballou High school when she authored her book. Her favorite colors are purple, blue, and pink. Her favorite thing to do is take pictures of herself, of course. Working with the Reach program is awesome because they all work together in the summer. During the year, she enjoyed working with Reach because she got to know each other and got to help kids. She signed up to be a tutor again.
Read MoreRicardo tutored for Reach at Perry Street Prep. He then attended Dunbar High School, and was sad that they didn't have Reach. He enjoyed working for Reach because he was able to spend time with his friends while helping kids be better readers. Working with Shootback was a fun experience. He enjoyed taking pictures all over the city. In his spare time he likes to play basketball and video games with his friends.
Read MoreNeehma attended Eastern High School when she authored her book. In addition to being a Reach tutor, she is a singer, dancer, and swimmer... or floater. She loves to talk - it's her passion in life. She is glad she was able to be a part of the Shootback project. She was able to take pictures of DC and kids will get to read their book. When she grows up she wants to go to NC Central and become a psychologist. Her goal in life is to be successful!
Read MoreNapresha attended Perry Street Prep when she authored her book. She really enjoyed her three years at Reach and was proud to become Junior Staff. She is upset that this was her last summer working with Reach. This summer was really fun, and she enjoyed working with the Shootback project and taking photos of DC. During her free time she enjoys writing poetry, talking on the phone, and taking pictures. She plans on going to college and is considering studying nursing or social work.
Read MoreFatimah attended Eastern Senior High School when she authored her book. She enjoyed tutoring students with Reach, though sports and other commitments made it hard for her to be a consistent tutor. She loved working with Shootback and plans to continue her interest in photography in college next year. She enjoyed taking pictures and is thinking about making it her career. The project helped her get the real feeling of how it's going to be as a professional photographer.
Read MoreArveone was a student at Ballou Senior High School when she authored her book. She enjoyed Shootback because she learned to take pictures of great things. Now, she wants to be a professional photographer because she loves to take pictures. Being a Reach tutor has taught her a lot and has been very important in her life. It makes her want to go out and do better things. She doesn't know what she would have done if she hadn't joined Reach. Her hobbies include cheerleading, basketball, and track. In the future she wants to graduate high school, provide for herself, and get a house and a car.
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