Photo by Scott Houston Photography

Courtenay, a 17-year-old high school senior, is very excited to be working at Sex, Etc. for a second year. She believes sexuality education is really important and says, “We need to know what’s going on with our bodies.” When Courtenay gets older she either hopes to become a surgeon or a broadcast journalist on CNN. She became interested in surgery during her A.P. biology class. “This might sound really weird, but in A.P. bio we dissected things, and I really liked it,” says Courtenay. She isn’t too concerned about whether people think that’s weird, because she lives by a motto taken from Dr. Seuss: “Be who you are and say what you mean, because those who matter don’t mind and those who mind don’t matter.”
—Colleen Tierney, 16
 

Photo by Scott Houston Photography

Kristen, a 16-year-old high school junior, learned about Sex, Etc. from her sister, a former editorial staff member. “My sister had a lot of fun,” explains Kristen with a laugh. Kristen isn’t just in it for the fun though. She’s also very excited about helping teens with their sexuality questions, especially questions about sexual orientation. Kristen enjoys reading, writing, listening to music and playing the guitar. Her favorite school subjects are chemistry and English. Kristen hopes to one day go to Rutgers University and is interested in becoming an eighth grade teacher.
—Kait Hamilton, 17
 

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Seventeen-year-old Stacie believes we should be able to talk calmly and comfortably about sexuality. “You don’t need euphemisms to talk about sex,” she explains. Stacie goes to Catholic school where she says she never received a proper education about sexuality. Now, Stacie is happy to have received sexual health training as a member of the Sex, Etc. teen editorial staff. Although Stacie was once timid when it came to asking questions and learning about sexuality, she was inspired by a religion teacher to ask the difficult questions. “My teacher is so passionate and not afraid to discuss tough topics,” says Stacie. The same could be said about Stacie, who joined Sex, Etc.’s teen staff to tackle sexual health topics that aren’t always easy to talk about.
—Carly Schlecker, 17
 

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Kait, 16, can be quiet one second and loud and hyper the next. She’s a unique girl who likes rock climbing, snow boarding and wake boarding, which is similar to snow boarding, but on water. She came across Sex, Etc. magazine and thought, Why not? Surprisingly, she loves writing but doesn’t like English class. One of her major interests is animals, which is why she plans on being a veterinarian in the future. She’s happy that she’s now a staff writer for Sex, Etc. and is excited to learn and share new information about sexual health.
—Kristen Choucrallah, 17
 

Photo by Scott Houston Photography

As a Sex, Etc. teen editor, 17-year-old Aya hopes to focus on GLBT rights and reducing homophobia in our society. Last year, Aya taught sexuality education to teens at her high school through the New Jersey Teen Prevention Education Program, which inspired her to continue promoting sexual health as a member of Sex, Etc.’s teen editorial staff. In her free time, Aya is a volunteer at her local hospital, a Girl Scout and a member of the Model United Nations. In the future, Aya plans to become a doctor and specialize in oncology, the branch of medicine that focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of cancer.
—Chelsea Sirico, 17
 

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Melanie, 17, feels sexuality education in schools is insufficient and wants to do her part to promote sexual health awareness among teenagers. She plans to write about controversial topics, like masturbation and abortion, and would love the chance to make a difference in the world. Melanie hopes to attend Brown University to study neuroscience and either become a neuroscientist or psychiatrist. When she isn’t focusing on her studies, Melanie spends her free time training Seeing Eye dogs, playing the harp, reading, taking pictures and going to concerts and movies.
—Sara Racek, 16
 

Photo by Scott Houston Photography

Sixteen-year-old Cynthia is only a junior in high school, but she is already a veteran of the Sex, Etc. staff. As a second-year teen editor, she strives to make the taboo topic of sexuality easier to discuss. “I think we’re growing up so fast,” says Cynthia, referring to the influence of sexually explicit television and movies. Though she may be growing up fast, Lam seems to be growing up well: she already has her eye on an Ivy League education and a potential career as a lawyer. Cynthia is very active at her school and participates in activities, like Key Club, Model United Nations and student government, to name a few. Cynthia is also deeply immersed in her culture. “I love being Asian,” she says with a laugh. “I have such a sense of pride.”
—Taylor McCabe, 17
 

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Seventeen-year-old Taylor is ready to make her voice heard. As editor-in-chief of the school literary magazine and viewpoint editor of the student newspaper, she eagerly pursues her passion for writing and editing. This talented writer is not afraid to take risks either—literally and figuratively. During her free time, Taylor leads the auxiliary team in daring school performances, which often involve “throwing and spinning guns in the air!” As a member of Sex, Etc.’s teen editorial staff, she’s looking forward to “trying a new kind of writing and expanding her horizons,” while providing important sexual health information for teens everywhere.
—Cynthia Lam, 16
 

Photo by Scott Houston Photography

Sara, 16, enjoys reading, watching television and going on walks. Her favorite subjects are science, literature and history, and she dreams of attending an Ivy League school. She feels that writing for Sex, Etc. is very important because “teens can be told all about abstinence, but they won’t always listen. People should know about birth control, protection and their options.” Sara is very excited to write about abortion, GLBTQ issues and contraception so that she can spread awareness about these topics. Sara feels that her biggest accomplishment is that she has had a pretty good life with nothing to regret or complain about.
—Melanie Johnson, 17
 

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Carly is a writer and a community advocate. At 17, she is involved in everything from her school’s literary magazine to spending time with foster children. She spent much of her summer living with a family in Spain and is active in a program to end genocide in Darfur. A self-described “helper,” Carly doesn’t believe in telling teens what they should do when it comes to sexuality. She believes teens can make healthy decisions and says, “It’s important to be informed about the consequences of sex.”
—Stacie Fanelli, 17

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“I decided to become a Sex, Etc. teen editor because I wanted to both explore different areas of writing and help people. This was a good way to do both,” says 17-year-old Chelsea. She is passionate about music and very involved in her school chorus. Chelsea believes her talent as a songwriter and creative writer will come in handy as she writes about sexual health. Chelsea would like to have teens get answers to their questions about sexuality. She understands through experience that not everybody has a place to go for accurate information. In the future, Chelsea hopes to become a songwriter and practice music therapy. “Of course, this is after I go to college!” she explains.
—Aya Iwamoto, 17
 

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“At first, I didn’t know what to think about Sex, Etc.,” says 16-year-old Colleen. Now, however, she feels that getting good sexual health information is essential for teens and believes the Web site and magazine are very informative. She is eager to write about the “emotional side” of sexuality, teen pregnancy and abortion. Colleen enjoys writing, photography and drawing. She is also interested in learning how to skateboard. One of Colleen’s favorite quotes is “Live for yourself and nobody else.” She hopes that teens will be independent and responsible about their decisions concerning sex.
—Courtenay Brown, 17
 

Photo by Scott Houston Photography

Sixteen-year-old Clarence is making a lifelong dream come true. As a child, he loved storytelling. Now, as a teen, Clarence tells stories by writing and directing his own movies. “I like bringing ideas and stories to life.... I take stories that have been in my mind and translate them visually by turning them into scripts and filming them as movies.” He hopes to become a professional filmmaker some day, joining the ranks of Spielberg and other famous directors. Clarence runs the school film club and makes movies in his free time. He also enjoys skateboarding, playing tennis and hanging out with friends. As part of Sex, Etc’s teen staff, he hopes to educate and entertain young people everywhere, by spreading awareness about sexual health issues—especially dating abuse, rape and recovery. Clarence is well on his way to reaching his goals. The secret to his success? “Doing what you love.”
—Cynthia Lam, 16