Tyandra has six sisters and four brothers and lives with her mom and dad. She was the Junior Class President when she wrote Our Lives Matter. She is a part of the Ballou Majestic Marching Knights Band as a Royal Dame. Her dream college would be going to Yale University for her J.D. degree to become an International Criminal Lawyer. She enjoys dancing, singing, reading, and joining various groups at her school. 

Triony is a member of a low-income Hispanic family who moved one place after another, so he got a fresh start every year. He plays soccer and loves it because of the teamwork, exercise, and leadership. He is going to college to be a step closer to success. He will break the cycle of going to work after high school. He wants to show all Hispanics what is worth doing to be successful in life. 

Sharhonda was 17 years old and the Class President of 2015 at Ballou Senior High School when she wrote Our Lives Matter. She is determined to be successful and hopes that her story encourages others to speak out.

Shaquon grew up in Southeast Washington, DC, not really knowing much about the city, but just knowing he wanted to get out. Football is something that helped him stay grounded, and to know what he can do to be better in a place where nothing really good happens. He is going to study psychology in college so that he can be a therapist. He can see himself being very successful, living the life he has always dreamed of. He's on his way to new beginnings. 

Sad'e is from DC even though she moved around a lot between MD and DC. She likes to sing and dance around for fun. Her hobby is tennis. 

Ricckia grew up in Washington, DC. She was 15 years old and in the 10th grade when she wrote Our Lives Matter. She plays basketball and flag football for Ballou. Her grandmother raised her and she's thankful for her. 

Levon grew up in DC with eight brothers and two sisters. They all likes sports, but he likes and plays ALL sports. He plans to go to college and study graphic design. He is going to the University of Kentucky to play football on a full ride, and he is thankful. 

Iyana grew up in Southeast Washington, DC. She likes to dance and listen to any type of music. Her favorite subject is math and science. She plans to go to college to become a pediatrician. Her piece in Our Lives Matter ​​​​​​​was difficult to write, but she wanted to tell about her life and her dreams. 

Lawrencia grew up in the DMV. Music is her escape. She knows how to play both trombone and trumpet. She's been writing poems and short stories since the sixth grade. She also does photography. Despite her struggles, she believes she's had a good life and wouldn't change a thing about it. 

Jermiyah grew up in Southeast DC. He's got one brother on his mother's side, and on his father's side there's thirteen of them. He likes to play basketball and for fun he does anything with sports. This piece was something that came to mind that describes teens right now. He thought it was important. 

K.F. grew up in Washington, DC, Southeast. She likes writing poetry and doesn't really have spare time. She works. all the times, and just wants to be able to live for myself and not for other people. She's going to college at Trinity and she's ready for the challenge. She wrote this piece to use as a personal statement, but when she wrote it, she wasn't too open about sharing. She's the kind of person who keeps her problems inside. Writing for her is a way to release. 

Erica was born on March 3, 1997. She grew up in Washington, DC. She has two sisters and six brothers. She is the oldest of all. She loves to write and create music. Writing lyrics is her passion. Her favorite artist is Shawn Carter. He came up from nothing and now is a legend. She is inspired by Onika Maraj and one day plans on achieving her dream of becoming a well-known CEO of a mega music corporation. 

Elexus was born in Virginia, but grew up in DC. She was in the tenth grade at Ballou Senior High School when she wrote Our Lives Matter. She likes rap music and street rappers. She plans to go to college so that she can be a plastic surgeon. The college she wants to attend is North Carolina A&T. Her piece for Our Lives Matter was kind of difficult to write, but she got through, and now she can't wait for her mother to read it. 

Dimontre grew up in Maryland but came to DC in 10th grade. He has been playing football since middle school, and writing was a hidden talent that he didn't really know he had. His favorite artist is Lil' Wayne because some of his music is artistic, and the words he's using you can imagine in your head. That's what he tries to do with poetry. He plans to go to college and study Business Administration and hopefully become a financial advisor. So he won't be a full-time poet, but this will not be his last poem. 

Diantae's life is baseball. He enjoys the sport because it's different. Not everybody plays it, and he doesn't think about anything else when he's playing baseball. He grew up in the Congress Heights area and his mother has seven kids, his father has three. He feels good about his piece in Our Lives Matter because it gave him a change to explain why he acts the way he acts, why he's the person he is. He's going to college next year at the University of Toledo, and he wants to be a professional baseball player. 

De'Azia grew up in Landover, Maryland and attended Ballou Senior High School. When she wrote Our Lives Matter, she was 17 and a junior. He is on the modeling team and enjoys music and spending time with her family when not in school. At home, she is the oldest of twelve other siblings, and she used her essay to tell about how she overcame a hard obstacle. 

China was an 18-year-old female and she is living with a common disability that is called Cerebral Palsy. She has had her disability ever since the day that she was born. She was a senior at Ballou when she wrote Our Lives Matter, planning to graduate in June. She loves to write and read and would love to write her very own book some day.

Ayonna is from Southeast DC. She has been playing basketball her whole life and wants to continue her journey in college. Her inspiration is LeBron James. She plans on going to a four-year university and double-majoring in math and sports management. It's challenging for her to communicate about personal issues, but she's overcoming that fear. 

Amira was born and raised in Southeast DC. She was a senior and Class Vice President when she wrote Our Lives Matter, is very active in several sports at her school, and working hard to get her high school diploma. She was headed to University of Maryland Eastern Shore in Fall 2015. She wants to major in psychology and become a psychologist. She wants to help people cope with their problems. She wants to help them become better people. 

Anthony is a Jamaican and Cuban Muslim who just wants to give people hope or a sense of pride. He wants to be a sportscaster, the first sportscaster on national TV with a kufi on his head. He wants to break the barrier for Muslims in America.

Brandon grew up in West Virginia. He moved to Washington, DC in high school because he wanted to graduate from the same school as his mother. He is highly active. He plays a lot of sports, but his favorite is baseball. He is a Christian. He feels that we all have a big impact on how the world operates. One little action can make a BIG difference. 

Tajuan was in the eleventh grade at Ballou High School when he wrote Our Lives Matter. He is in AVID and the Teen Outreach Program. He wrote for Our Lives Matter because he felt as though people didn't see the real him and what he had to offer. He plans to attend college in the fall of 2016. 

MH grew up in Maryland and DC and has six siblings. She likes to read and to write poetry and mini-stories. Her favorite author is Nina Simone. She hopes to become a photographer and a journalist and go to Howard. 

Christopher was born in Washington, DC. He is in the band and plays the tuba, also called the Sousaphone. He is also a Reach tutor. He goes to Simon Elementary School and tutors 2nd and 3rd graders. He is an AVID student and a member of the Ballou Story Project. 

NC lives in Washington, DC. She likes R&B music and her favorite artist in Jacques. She plans to go to college and become a family therapist. She has three sisters and one brother. She loves to be social and go out and do outgoing things. 

Randy was born and raised in DC, and loves all genres of music. He's the leading bass drummer in band at school, and that feels both stressful and wonderful. The other thing he is passionate about is writing poetry. He found his passion for writing in the 8th grade. Sometimes he enjoys playing sports. Otherwise, he likes to be out of the house and going places.