To me, Youthink is a lot of things. Not just a magazine to skim through while I’m bored. It’s a place where I can publicly express my opinions through fun-to-read articles. Writing for Youthink has been one of the best, most fulfilling things I’ve ever done; it’s fun, easy and it makes me feel special to see my name at the bottom of an article that I know I wrote. Having Youthink magazine in my school has also been very convenient and beneficial. It gives me pride to see my classmates reading my articles, and to see my parents’ faces light up when I bring the magazine home to show them. I hope Youthink magazine is continued for many years to come, because it really has become a good part of my life.

Youthink is a wonderful opportunity in many ways. Youthink benefits budding writers through portfolio building and skill enhancing experiences but it is also a down-to-earth magazine for teens of every description.

Youthink has given many teens, like myself, the chance to showcase their writing talents and build portfolios for post secondary education. My own portfolio is over 50% published Youthink articles that have a variety of topics, showing my versatility as a journalist. It has also helped me explore my writing and that which I would like to focus on in my future writing career. Youthink helps hopeful journalists refine their interviewing and reporting techniques. I recently wrote an article on the 30 Hour Famine and I set up my own phone interview with the Alberta representative. Youthink gave me the push to establish myself as a writer. It gives us hands-on experiences, something that is invaluable in this competitive field.

Not only is this magazine a great learning tool, it is tool of communication. I have always felt that communication is what would help communities unify and live peaceably. Youthink speaks to the community of adolescents. While not all the articles will appeal to everyone, there is always something for someone. As teen journalists write about everything from eating disorders to going green, we are able to connect with other teens. While this connection may be small to some readers, it can be huge for someone looking for support in their own lives. Youthink is a teen magazine that is real. We do not airbrush our photos, we do not write about which celeb is dating who or who just went into rehab. We write about issues that teens experience on a daily basis, we write to influence others to make changes in their lives and in their communities.

Youthink is media that reflects the real world of a teen because it is written by teens.

Youthink is a magazine that connects students from school to school, and showcases the best work from writers of all grades. When an article is submitted for publication, the experience gives a student writer a boost of self- confidence as he or she eagerly waits to see it in print. Once you see your article in the Youthink magazine, you already start thinking of the next one to write and how to make it interesting for readers. Positive feedback from friends is a great motivator!

Youthink creates fantastic opportunities for student contributors to meet bands, review CD’s, interview celebrities and participate in certain, special events. Writers also have the chance to research current and pressing issues in our world. Youthink editors provide structure for our writing and this additional guidance can lead to a general improvement in a writer’s overall written English expression. (Think better English and Social Studies marks!)

I have so much fun going through the magazine with my friends at lunch time, after school and during spares. We read our horoscopes; we read articles on the latest up-and-coming bands; and, we check up on our favourite actors and actresses. But one of the main reasons my friends and I enjoy reading this magazine so much is the fact that people our age, going through life at the same time as us, are the ones sharing their thoughts and opinions, and words for us to read.

I would have to say my best Youthink experience happened last year, when I had the opportunity to do a phone interview with one of the members of the band Tupelo Honey. I will remember it for the rest of my life, and I know so many other student-writers have had similar memorable experiences writing for Youthink. What made my interview with Tupolo Honey so very special was the fact that my friends could read the interview afterwards at school when the publication arrived.

Youthink is an excellent publication for high schools. It contains everything that we as high school students are interested in: current teen-related issues, music, entertainment, and fashion. Our lives as students don’t grant us the time to sit back and sift through the newspaper, looking for to see if our favourite artist had been interviewed recently, or check out new spring fashion ideas. With Youthink, everything is there at our fingertips, in articles that are concise and not overwhelmingly long. Having Youthink’s student-written opinions on these subjects in our schools makes for a more accessible and enjoyable reading experience than reading about the same things in city newspapers.

Personally, my experience with Youthink has been amazing. I started writing for the magazine in September of Grade Ten, and it has been very rewarding. I’ve learned so much in the year and a half since then, like how to manage my time and deal with deadlines. I’ve grown as a writer and discovered that journalism is the career I will be pursuing after high school. Without Youthink, I firmly believe that I would still be unsure of what path to choose after I graduate. I cannot say enough great things about this magazine!

Happy 10th Birthday, Youthink Magazine!

Ten years, what an accomplishment. I’m so proud to be able to say that I was apart of a publication that continues to open so many doors for teens across Canada. I started writing for Youthink Magazine when I was seventeen, and my only regret is that I didn’t find them sooner! However, in that short period of time, Youthink has certainly influenced where I am today. After graduating from high school, I started my own publication (Style Republic Magazine) and I only hope that I can one day give a birthday gift as large and substantial to Youthink Magazine as the one that they’ve given to me.

Bon Anniversaire, Youthink! My best memories include getting the chance to meet some big names like Lady Sovereign, Russell Simmons and k-os, just to name a few. The interview locations were always fun and interesting, whether it be a club basement, at the back of a TV station, or even a public library. If it wasn’t for the skills I learned, and the clippings I walked away with, I wouldn’t be where I am today. Currently, I’m studying broadcast journalism at Concordia University in Montreal, and writing for a well-known hip-hop magazine (M.O.B. Magazine). All the best in the future!

Happy 10th birthday, Youthink – you’re in the double-digits now! The three years that I spent writing for Youthink before I graduated from Burnaby Mountain in 2007 are undoubtedly among the most memorable of my life. I met so many great people, from Youthink staff and other student writers, to some of my favourite singers and bands. My time at Youthink allowed me to learn not only about journalism, but also about myself; I never imagined that I would have the courage to interview so many interesting and inspiring people, especially before turning 18! I am currently studying English at Langara College and plan to study journalism in the near future. I owe you one, Youthink!

While working with Youthink from 2001 through 2005, I lived some of my craziest rock journalist dreams à la Almost Famous. But one memory stands out above the rest: meeting my all-time, hands-down, favourite band in the world at the end of my graduating year. What band is that, you ask? Weezer, of course.

After graduating from McRoberts Secondary in 2005, I took the skills I learned at Youthink and channeled them into my position as editor of Grounder Music Magazine at the University of British Columbia. By now, I’ve gone on to meet Weezer a second time and if all goes well with my career plan, it won’t be the last time either.
Congratulations, Youthink, on rocking out for over 10 years! And of course, thanks for letting me interview Weezer even though there was a very real chance that I would faint upon handshake. (But, for the record, I did not faint.)

Congrats on turning the big 1-0, Youthink! You’ve come a long way.

Writing for the magazine from 2001 to 2003 was my first experience with deadlines, edits and having my work published (I was the resident hip-hop writer back then). It was also my stepping-stone into the world of journalism and helped me decide to attend Ryerson University in Toronto. Since graduating from Ryerson’s journalism program, I’ve gone on to work at the Globe and Mail newspaper and become Editor-in-Chief of my own start-up pop culture publication, CreamWorld magazine. Thanks Youthink for opening the door to my journalism career.

Congrats Youthink on 10 years of providing the youth of Western Canada with a voice!

A journey of a thousand miles begins with one step. My journey began with writing for Youthink in September 2000, while attending Hugh Boyd Secondary School in Richmond, BC. That first step gave me the opportunity to explore my ideas, express myself and share my passion with my peers. The Youthink experience literally changed my life.

Today, nine years later, I’m in a place that I never thought I would be: Kabul, Afghanistan. I work as Senior Public Relations Specialist (on the other side of the media) for Afghanistan’s leading mobile phone company, Roshan, which means “light” and “hope” in the country’s two national languages. The company plays a major role in the reconstruction effort in Afghanistan, using telecommunications as a catalyst for change and building civil society. Every day I get to share this progress with journalists and people from across the globe. In this way, Roshan and Youthink are on the same path – connecting people today to make a better tomorrow.