2003 GB Youth Board Ready To Serve

By ERIKA ANDERSON, Staff Writer

Published: October 16, 2003

ATLANTA—The 2003 GB Youth Board is ready to serve. Eighteen high school teens answered the call to serve The Georgia Bulletin, and the Catholic Church, in a unique way.

The board will meet quarterly to plan future issues of Youth News, and will report on the happenings of the high school youth throughout the archdiocese.

In alphabetical order, meet the 2003 GB Youth Board.

Lola Adekunle, 17, is a senior at St. Pius X High School in Atlanta. She attends either St. Philip Benizi Church in Jonesboro or St. John the Evangelist Church in Hapeville.

She is excited about writing for The Georgia Bulletin and deciding whether to pursue journalism as a career.

“I know I can learn a lot from the experience of working with a statewide, published newspaper,” she said. “I know it will be an enriching experience that will push me to become a better writer. When the opportunity arose, I could not pass it up.”

But writing is not Lola’s only hobby. After enrolling in a summer camp called Aviation Career Education, Lola became interested in flying.

“Through the camp, I developed an interest in aviation,” she said. “I currently take flight lessons at Gwinnett County Airport.”

Kristen Crawford, 17, is a senior at Pope High School in Marietta who attends Holy Family Church in Marietta.

An active member of her parish youth group, Kristen said that one of the most unique things about her is that “the carwash is (her) favorite place in the world.”

She’s exited to join the Youth Board because she “loves writing.”

“It’s fun to find out more about the Catholic Church and what’s going on in the Catholic Church,” she said.

Colleen Curran, 14, is a freshman at Blessed Trinity High School in Roswell. She loves movies, and said she loves to pick out the symbolism of the film and find out about all the actors in it.

“Then I just spurt off random facts about the actors and actresses,” she said. “ Right now, my specialty movies are ‘The Lord of the Rings,’ ‘Harry Potter’ and ‘The Pirates of the Caribbean.’”

She’s thrilled to be a part of the Youth Board.

“I am really excited about being a member of the Youth Board because I love to write and I love God, and the Youth Board encompasses these two things,” she said. “I just love writing, and God is the center of my life, and I can’t really think of anything better than to express my faith.”

Meaghan Curry is a 15-year-old sophomore at Parkview High School and attends St. Stephen the Martyr Church in Lilburn.

One of her favorite activities is singing.

“I am in three choirs, and I have recently been on tour in San Diego and am going to Rome next summer,” she said.

She said that she’s excited about becoming a member of the Youth Board because “I enjoy writing and also because I want to meet new people and have fun.”

Chris Dale, 14, is a freshman at The Donnellan School in Atlanta and is a parishioner at St. Jude the Apostle Church in Atlanta.

A former resident of Ireland, Chris is hoping to be able to utilize his love of sports as a Youth Board member, but is willing to help out however he can.

“I enjoy writing and I want to put my skills to good use,” he said.

Mackenzie Garretson, 15, is a sophomore at St. Pius X High School and attends Prince of Peace Church in Buford.

Mackenzie, who said she enjoys writing and serving the church and the community, tries to live life to the fullest.

“I enjoy life, I can’t wait to get older, but I don’t mind being young either,” she said.

A parishioner at St. Andrew’s Church in Roswell, Christine Gryczan,15, is a sophomore at Roswell High School.

Christine said when dealing with others, she likes to be strong without being judgmental.

“I’m a person who states her opinion, usually whether it’s asked or not. I state my mind, and stand strong about what I believe in,” she said. “I stand up for things and people I believe are right, but I don’t put down people in the process.”

This is the second year on the Youth Board for Tamara Huntley. She is a 17-year-old senior at Chamblee High School and a parishioner at Christ Our Hope Church in Lithonia.

An avid fan of government topics, Tamara hopes to one day work for the CIA and become an advisor to a future U.S. president.

Serving on the Youth Board gives Tamara a chance to stay in touch with her Catholic peers, she said.

“I have no real correspondence with Catholic teens outside of my (parish) church,” she said. “Being on the board will expose me to the true meaning of Catholicism.”

Robyn Keuler is a junior at Our Lady of Mercy High School in Fairburn and attends St. Philip Benizi Church in Jonesboro.

Though she turned 16 this summer, she said she doesn’t have the typical 16-year-old desires.

“I don’t drive … I’ve only been behind the wheel once in my entire life. I drove around the parking lot of a church about six times a few weeks ago. That’s the only driving experience I’ve had,” she said. “The typical teenager can’t wait to get his or her license. My friends and parents can’t figure out why I’m not interested in driving. I’m perfectly content being a passenger for now.”

Robyn looks forward to exploring a possible career as a journalist.

“Being a member of the Youth Board gives me the opportunity to express my opinions freely and share my faith with others. I’m somewhat of a shy person, but this gives me the chance to be open about what I think,” she said. “Furthermore, I’m not sure what I want to do after high school. I’ve thought about going into journalism. Now I can discover more about what goes on behind the scenes and determine if this is a career I’d be interested in pursuing. If nothing else, I’ll have fun while also gaining invaluable learning experience.”

Jayne LaFave, 17, is a senior at Collins Hill High School and belongs to Prince of Peace Church in Buford.

Stephen Lenahan is a 16-year-old junior at Our Lady of Mercy High School and is a parishioner at Holy Trinity Church in Peachtree City.

“I would have to say the one most unique thing about me is my strange resemblance to Woody from ‘Toy Story,’” he said. “I’m goofy and tall just like him.”

Stephen said he gets involved in “tons of different activities,” and manages to keep his sanity through it all. The Youth Board, he said, is no exception.

“I’m very excited about being on the Youth Board because I love to express myself and be goofy. I also like to let all my fellow teens in Christ around Atlanta know about the happenings of the Catholic youth of our archdiocese. It’s important for all teens in our archdiocese to know about what’s going on and what they can be a part of.”

Aimee Plauche, 15, is a freshman at Brookwood High School who is a member of St. John Neumann Church in Lilburn.

A dancer, Aimee is currently training to become “contortionistically flexible.”

She’s excited to become a Youth Board member.

“I love writing and am proud to be a member of the Catholic Church,” she said.

Isabela Rzeznik is a sophomore at Blessed Trinity High School. The 15-year-old is a parishioner at the Church of St. Ann in Marietta.

Isabela is proud of her Polish heritage and a self-described “avid reader.” Like many of the teens on the Youth Board, Isabela is considering a future in journalism.

“I’m excited because this is a wonderful opportunity for me to see what it’s like to be a journalist and to see if I would like to continue on with this career path,” she said.

Jonathan Sadie is a returning member of the Youth Board. He is a 15-year-old sophomore at Blessed Trinity High School and attends the Cathedral of Christ the King in Atlanta.

A former home-school student, Jonathan is enjoying Blessed Trinity.

“Home school has a freedom about it--you can plan your own days and have flexibility to travel around,” he said. “For me, however, the advantage of being among my academic and spiritual peers is more important than the freedoms home school brought.”

One of the most unique things about Meg Schroeder, a parishioner at St. Peter Chanel Church in Roswell and a freshman at Blessed Trinity High School, involves semantics.

“I think that jellyfish is one of the coolest words in the English language,” she said.

As a freshman, 14-year-old Meg isn’t able to join the Blessed Trinity newspaper staff, so she welcomes the experience of writing for The Georgia Bulletin.

“With the Youth Board I am able to write for a paper and it’s got something to do with my faith,” she said. “What could be better?”

Megan Sennett, 16, is a sophomore at Chattahoochee High School and attends St. Brigid Church in Alpharetta. A flute player, Megan plays in her high school’s wind ensemble. She recently contributed a special part of herself to a charity.

“I got 12 inches of my hair cut in March and donated it to Locks of Love, an organization that makes wigs for children with terminal illnesses,” she said.

As a Youth Board member, Megan will be writing regular columns about various media options for Catholic teens.

“Two of my greatest passions are writing and the Catholic Church,” she said. “I’m really excited about the opportunity to combine these two loves and contribute to something important.”

Loliana Sorrells, 18, is a senior at Our Lady of Mercy High School and attends Holy Trinity Church.

She loves spending time with her family as much as going out with friends.

“This seems to be a little unusual in this day and age,” she said.

Writing for The Georgia Bulletin, she said, will give her the opportunity to reach her peers.

“I believe I can make a difference in some younger teens’ lives when they feel they are losing focus and direction,” she said. “I believe I can help them prioritize what is important in life.”

Gloria Tempka, 17, was an active member of the Youth Board last year.

“I wrote several articles last year and I just enjoy doing it,” she said. “I love to write about things that interest me and that I am passionate about.”

A senior at Centennial High School and a parishioner at St. Brigid Church in Alpharetta, Gloria is involved in many activities and is a proud vegetarian.

“I love to be involved in everything: sports, music, dance, student council, school, church, clubs, community, and just about anything else I can fit into my schedule,” she said.