I started working with Youth Journalism International more than a decade ago. From the beginning, Jackie and Steve served as mentors, honing my writing and interviewing skills. Their efforts led me to be more inquisitive, more thoughtful, and more capable of sniffing out a story from miles away. Although their efforts were directed through the lens of journalism, the results have served me well throughout college, medical school, and now a neurosurgery residency. Jackie and Steve, through Youth Journalism International provide young students with the skills necessary to develop as critical thinkers and flourish in any field or career.

I got involved with YJI during my freshman year of high school, 15 years ago. Jackie and Steve were excellent mentors who taught me the skills necessary to research, write, and publish news and opinion articles. They empowered me, as a teenager, to ask questions of the adults around me, and they taught me to do this in a respectful, but persistent, manner. The technical skills have been tremendously helpful throughout my work as a medical student and researcher. More importantly, my time with YJI gave me ye skills and confidence needed to succeed as a woman in the male-dominated field of neurosurgery.