For each new issue, the Trailblazers Production Team seeks out "Spotlight Learners" from around the world to share their unique voices on the topic of transforming education.
We intentionally try to not set a “theme” for each new magazine issue because we want the articles to be authentic; we want young learners to share whatever it is that they feel driven to talk about, not what someone else prompts them to talk about. Thus, we work individually with each learner throughout the writing process to amplify their voice while striving to create an issue that provides a diverse mixture of commentary on the current education paradigm.
Click on the following pictures below to read the bios of our Spotlight Learners who have each contributed to past issues of Trailblazers.
(These bios are written as of when they contributed to Trailblazers, not as of the current date.)
We intentionally try to not set a “theme” for each new magazine issue because we want the articles to be authentic; we want young learners to share whatever it is that they feel driven to talk about, not what someone else prompts them to talk about. Thus, we work individually with each learner throughout the writing process to amplify their voice while striving to create an issue that provides a diverse mixture of commentary on the current education paradigm.
Click on the following pictures below to read the bios of our Spotlight Learners who have each contributed to past issues of Trailblazers.
(These bios are written as of when they contributed to Trailblazers, not as of the current date.)
Audrey Thompson "THE VALUE OF FEEDBACK" – ISSUE 8 Audrey Thompson is a rising sophomore at the Mount Vernon School. Audrey runs cross country and track for Mount Vernon and loves to read in her spare time. She is a member of Innovation Diploma and her favorite school subject is French. In the future, she looks forward to sophomore year and doing more projects in Innovation Diploma. Trey Tiffin "An Interview with Trey Tiffin" - Issue 8 Trey is a newly-grad of Mount Vernon High School in Atlanta, Georgia. He will be attending the Georgia Institute of Technology in the fall. Trey loves to play sports as well as spending time outdoors. He believes his communication and leadership skills have made him successful in the design thinking world. Khalil Newell "THE TOOLS TO SAVE THE WORLD" – Issue 6 Khalil Newell is a senior at Georgia Tech studying Operations and Supply Chain Management. Originally from Carrollton, Georgia, he has a passion for anything and has been involved in music, athletics, and most recently education. Khalil hopes to use his leadership capabilities to drive change and improve the welfare of everyone to bring about a better world. Harriet Middleton “Innovation Diploma Update: Delta” – Issue 5 Harriet Middleton has been a part of the Mount Vernon school community for 7 years now. She is a captain of the varsity swim team, manages lacrosse, is a member of the National Honors Society and Innovation Diploma, and is now a certified lifeguard for work at a girl’s summer camp in Hunt, TX. She loves to sing and has performed at numerous festivals with her band “Bike Lane”. Harriet is also an avid traveler, and has visited three continents! Marisa Mecke “Innovation sans-STEM: Reframing the Value of Innovation in the Humanities and Social Sciences” – Issue 5 Marisa Mecke is a Sophomore at Davidson College and a graduate of Mount Vernon Presbyterian School in Atlanta, GA. Studying Political Science and Latin American Studies, Marisa is diving deep into social sciences and humanities through interdisciplinary courses and majors. Marisa currently has no future plans aside from graduating, but is excited to be conducting oral histories abroad with grant funding during the summer of 2019. Alex Dombi “Journey into Learner-Centered Activism” – Issue 4 Alex Dombi is a junior enrolled in the Big Picture Program at South Burlington High School. Throughout her growing time in the program, she continues to uncover interests she had never previously acknowledged, ranging from portrait photography and photo-activism to youth/adult partnership in the transformation of education. She firmly believes that every experience has a lesson written in and that it is her job to experience them as they come. Sophie Haugen “SMforSM: An Educational Partnership Bridged by Empathy and Friendship” – Issue 3 Sophie Haugen is a senior at St. Mark’s School in Southborough, MA, where she is actively involved with the St. Marguerite’s Partnership and international exchange-student programs. She also writes and edits for the school’s online academic journal. She enjoys crew, cross-country, and spending time outdoors. In college and beyond, Sophie is planning to pursue a career in global public health, traveling the world as a policy-maker or medical professional. Brady Vincent “Creating Something New” – Issue 1 Brady Vincent is a 10th grader at Mount Vernon Presbyterian School and is very interested about becoming a serial entrepreneur when he grows up. He is passionate about the Innovation Diploma program, and is also driven to make be a maverick by challenging the way things are done. |
Kendall Sommers "Making a Class to Understand Mine" – Issue 8 Kendall Sommers is a rising senior in high school. A major passion of theirs is creating art, films and collages and poems. They want to work in special education when they’re older or teach in some facet. A fun fact about Kendall is that they didn’t try soup until they were 13. They are a runner, a coxswain, help lead the Gender Sexuality Alliance at their school, and help plan the open mic. Kendall is so honored to be writing with Trailblazers and is so excited to have their writing out there. Eliza Bruno Eliza Bruno is a senior in high school and a fourth year member of the Innovation Diploma program. Within school, she participates in creative writing and interact club. Outside of her school, Eliza enjoys riding horses and playing the piano. She plans on attending college to study biomedical engineering in Fall of 2020. Masie Graham “The Impact of Social Media on Teens” – Issue 5 Masie is a currently a freshman at Mount Vernon Presbyterian School. Her hobbies include writing, film acting, and most recently- playing the guitar. She is attending the two week University of Virginia young writers workshop over the summer. Lucy Conover “Insπiration” – Issue 3 Lucy Conover is 17 and lives in San Diego, California. She attends the Gary and Jerri-Ann Jacobs High Tech High School and in her free time, does jazz, ballet, and contemporary dance. She also likes to sew, eat sushi, and watch movies. In the future, she wants to join the STEM field and work in astronomy or zoology. Yusra Syed “Primary Education in India” – Issue 2 Yusra Syed is a VI Form day student at St.Mark’s School, Southborough from Shrewsbury, MA. She is a student ambassador for various non-profit organizations and is involved in promoting social entrepreneurship to solve the problems of child education and hunger in developing countries. In her spare time, Yusra enjoys yoga and squash. Neel Pujar “Change is a Conversation” – Issue 1 Neel Pujar is an active believer in learner-centered education and currently serves as Fellow with Education Reimagined. In this role, Neel works to inspire continued action and dialogue at SparkHouse, a team of over forty learners dedicated to advancing change in their own communities and at a national scale. Prior to serving as a Fellow, Neel served as a Board Member representing over 35,000 students to the Poway Unified School District Board of Education. Cali Ragland “Intelligence” – Issue 1 Cali Ragland is an 18-year-old student at Perkiomen Valley HS. She is deeply passionate about education, curiosity, and stories. This school year, she created an independent study course with her sister and humanities teacher, Mr. Garreth Heidt (@Ed_by_design). This course is a design project exploring curiosity’s role in education. You can follow their journey at “Curiosity in Education.” |
Jasmine Setchel "Self Directed Learning" – Issue 8 Jasmine Setchell is a 17-year-old secondary school student in Aotearoa, New Zealand. In school, she is a head girl - a whole school leader. She leads the school's Red Cross group, environmental group, and participates in many clubs. Outside of school Jasmine is a passionate dancer and hopes to use her leadership capabilities to drive change in environmental conservation. Marisa Mecke "Advanced Placement disorientation" – Issue 6 Marisa Mecke is a Junior at Davidson College and a graduate of Mount Vernon Presbyterian School in Atlanta, GA. Studying Political Science and Latin American Studies, Marisa is diving deep into social sciences and humanities through interdisciplinary courses and majors. Marisa currently has no future plans aside from graduating, but is excited to have completes oral histories abroad with grant funding during the summer of 2019. Skyler Tiffin “Two Million Minutes” – Issue 5 Atlanta, Georgia and had no idea what to expect. She is now a rising senior in high school, has been in the Innovation Diploma program for three years, has learned so much and met so many new people, and could not imagine where she would be now without moving. She is the oldest of four siblings, with one younger brother, and two sisters. Jackson Aull, Liam Adams, & Reed Garazon “Innovation Diploma Update: Freshman Humanities” – Issue 4 Jackson Aull, Liam Adams, and Reed Garazon are three first-year Innovation Diploma (iDiploma) learners commenting on their experience as part of the first cohort to earn freshman humanities credit through their iDiploma time.The iDiploma is a joint program between Mount Vernon Presbyterian School and MVIFI. iDiploma students engage with leaders in various industries, to create value through intensive ventures, and to build capacity as young innovators. Rather than merely preparing students for the future, iDiploma empowers young leaders to inspire, innovate, and implement high-impact work now that enhances their local, national, and global communities. Hannah Bertram “What Learner-Centered Education Did For Me” – Issue 3 Hannah Bertram is a freshman in college from Cedar Rapids, Iowa majoring in Social Work. In high school, she was a student in the Iowa BIG program. Hannah is involved with the organization “Education Reimagined” and attends the University of Northern Iowa. She is also a runner, plays guitar, and volunteers in the Emergency Department at St. Luke’s Hospital in Cedar Rapids. Blake Dujowich “The Principles Before the Principal” – Issue 2 Blake Dujowich is 17 years old and attends The Gary and Jerri-Ann Jacobs High Tech High in San Diego, California. A few of his passions are camping and photography, when he’s not with his family, youth group, or school he is out camping and taking photos. When he finishes high school he wants to pursue a career in medicine as an ER and Trauma doctor. After his college studies, he wants to travel the world and be able to work as a doctor anywhere where help is needed. Kim Mi Yeoh “Free Ranged vs. Caged” – Issue 1 Kim Mi Yeoh is a 16-year-old girl who has lived in New Zealand for a majority of her life. She is currently a year 12 student (equivalent to an American junior) who studies at Hobsonville Point Secondary School. Her strong passion for art and design leads her to aspire to be an Architect who hopes to leave a revolutionary mark on the modern world of architecture. As well as her love for art, Kim Mi adores animals, nature, music, the beach, and clouds. |