Yufang Guo (Age 14) - based in MA

Late at night, I thought about what makes me unique. If you take different parts of me, the truth is, I’m not special at all. The world is so big to the point where it doesn’t matter how dark my eyes are, how long my hair is, or what clothes I wear. Someone else has the exact same eyes, and the shirt I'm wearing is inside their closet. Even my personality traits and talents are founded in so many other people. If you pull me apart piece by piece, I fade into the crowd. That is why when people...

I woke up to the sound of my alarm ringing. The date was April 11, 2026, and my team and I would be competing against other teams at a regional dance competition. This competition will determine if we get a golden ticket, a ticket given to group dances that the judges believe should dance for nationals, to participate in the World Dance Challenge. I packed my bags and got ready to practice with my group a few times before the competition. On the wall across the room, I saw a painting of five...

Fear is a human emotion that paints itself across the mind. It’s interesting how fear can control our actions, much like a person painting on paper every stroke drawn for a reason. People often believe fear is something they can control, but fear is more like ink. Once a drop hits the paper, it spreads. I stared at my math quiz, the quiz I had convinced myself I understood the day before. I flipped through the pages one by one. Every problem felt like a battle. I skipped questions until I...