“I think it’s really important for teens to be informed about current health issues and topics that may not be discussed in their health class,” says 18-year-old Rachel. Though she can be reserved, Rachel is passionate when she explains why she chose to write for Sex, Etc. and educate teenagers about sexual health. Her passion is fueled by her love of writing and dedication to helping and teaching others. Rachel also plays the violin and is an avid reader. She hopes to pursue a career as an English or history teacher.

—Lina Chappelle, 17

Lina, a 17-year-old high school junior, joined the Sex, Etc. teen editorial staff because she is an aspiring writer and thinks teens aren’t getting enough information about sexuality. Her life goal is to write a book that she’s happy about, but writing isn’t the only thing she has a passion for. “I love music. It’s the universal language,” says Lina. John Mayer’s “Belief” is her favorite song to play on guitar. Lina is also a self-professed foodie, and says, “Late at night, one of my guilty pleasures is watching Food Network.”

—Rachel Baron, 18

Kristen, 17, was inspired to write for Sex, Etc. and become a sexual health advocate by her older sister. “My sister would always come home with stories about working for Sex, Etc. She loved it,” Kristen explains. Kristen has a bit of an addiction to the Internet, mainly Facebook and music, and she updates her iPod, which she has named Snuffles, every single day. This is Kristen’s second year on staff, and she hopes to continue spreading sexual health awareness on important topics, like sexual orientation and gender identity.

—Carly Schlecker, 18

Derek—an animated 17-year-old high school senior—joined the Sex, Etc. staff mainly to help others by giving advice to teens who find it awkward to ask for help from parents or other adult figures. He is a big advocate of having people “love and respect differences.” Derek has some experience advocating for respecting differences: He founded his school’s gay-straight alliance in response to his school community’s lack of discussion about homophobia and sexual orientation.

—Connor Dolan, 18

Sixteen-year-old Sam describes himself as tall, driven and stubborn. He is thrilled to be writing for Sex, Etc. His mom—who has done some fundraising for Answer, the organization that publishes Sex, Etc.—introduced Sam to the magazine. For weeks, Sam noticed Sex, Etc. magazines around his house and eventually took his mom’s advice and applied to be a Sex, Etc. staff writer. Sam is a strong advocate for sexuality education in schools. He feels that if teens are presented with the facts and information about sexuality they’ll have a better chance at making smart decisions. Sam lives by the motto “Focus on what you love” and aspires to one day manage his own biomedical firm.

—Clarence Williams IV, 17
 

“I’d love to study the tool you study with,” say 18-year-old Connor, referring to the brain. He plans to study neurology at the University of New Mexico. He is excited about the school’s exceptional research program and enjoys spending time in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Connor has written creatively as a hobby and hopes to learn a more professional work ethic by writing for Sex, Etc.

—Derek Demeri, 17
 

Playing Nintendo Wii, writing poetry and acting. These are just a few things that 16-year-old Brandon is passionate about. Brandon is clear that he wants to be successful, and for him that could include becoming an actor or a chef or just making life better for those around him. “I just want everyone in my life to be happy because of what I did,” he says. One of the biggest influences in Brandon’s life is his home country and favorite place to be—Jamaica. The culture and music of Jamaica continue to inspire him as he returns there every summer. Brandon is very excited to be on Sex, Etc.’s teen editorial staff, and he plans to write about topics, such as birth control and relationships.

—Melanie Johnson, 18
 

Francis Howitt, a 16-year-old junior, is a well-rounded athlete. He plays soccer, track, basketball, tennis and loves to swim as well. He takes long bike rides with his friends—some almost 75 miles long. Although Franny (a nickname given to him by his friends) is very active, when he needs to relax, he listens to music in his room. Francis was intrigued by Sex, Etc. because it was something new to him and he wanted to reach out to teens who need help. Francis lives by a quote from long-distance runner Steve Prefontaine: “To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift.” Francis plans to give his best to make sure teens have the information they need to make healthy decisions.

—Sam Woods-Corr, 16
 

A blonde harpist seems like some kind of fictional character, but 18-year-old, Melanie Johnson, who plays the harp, is all real. She also enjoys capturing life’s perfect moments through photography. Melanie explains that her life motto is “This too shall pass.” When asked what appeals to her about it, she says, “It teaches you to cherish the good moments and not get caught up in the bad ones.” Melanie is excited to be writing for Sex, Etc. for a second year.

—Brandon Dublin, 16
 

Cynthia Lam, 17, is very excited about her third year on the Sex, Etc. teen editorial staff. She has written many interesting articles, but her favorite was “It Won’t Fall Off,” a story that debunks myths about masturbation. Over this past summer, Cynthia went to a journalism camp in Los Angeles. While she had a lot of fun, the camp made Cynthia realize that she does not want to be a journalist. She wants to be an English major in college and then go to law school. “While athletes get a runner’s high or musicians are passionate about their music, I get that same rush of adrenaline from writing a perfect article,” explains Cynthia. She loves writing and speaking publically, and a lawyer gets to use both of those skills.

—Sara Racek, 17
 

Something you wouldn’t know about 17-year-old teen writer, Luke, is that he speaks Spanish fluently. He lived in Guatemala for eight years because his father moved there and started a business. Luke moved back to the United States in eighth grade, and since then his passions have been his friends and acting. While working at Sex, Etc., he would “love to write a really cool piece on sexuality.” He wants to make sure people understand that sexuality does not only refer to a person’s sexual orientation and gender identity, but everything else related to sexuality, like sensuality, intimacy and sexual health. Luke feels sexuality education is important to keep teens from making mistakes. When asked what his life motto is, he quotes lyrics from a song in the film Cry Baby, “I’m doing time for being young.”

—Colleen Tierney, 17
 

A self-described “fun-loving, hyper, crazy teenage girl,” 17-year-old Sara enjoys reading thriller novels and listening to rock music, especially Green Day. “I have all of their CDs and all of their songs memorized,” Sara says with a laugh. Though rock music is her favorite, every once in a while, she will indulge in Lady Gaga’s music, which Sara calls her “guilty pleasure.” Sara’s quirky personality and bouncy attitude help her stand out in a family of five siblings, two birds, a dog and a cat. “I just love having a big family,” says Sara. “You’re never alone.”

—Cynthia Lam, 17
 

Carly, 18, adores her job at Sex, Etc. “I think it’s important for teens to have correct information about sexuality and what comes with it, so they can form their own opinions and make healthy choices,” she explains. This year, on a whim, Carly tried out for her school’s production of The Crucible. Even though she has never acted in her life, Carly was shocked when she got one of the lead parts. She enjoys school, and her favorite subject is creative writing. It’s her last year working for Sex, Etc., and she’s sad to see her time on the teen editorial staff coming to an end. “But I’m going to make the most of it and educate others to the fullest,” she says.

—Kristen Choucrallah, 17
 

Colleen, 17, is a senior in high school working to make the world a better place. This past summer, she worked in Tanzania, building a school for children. Her passion for volunteering and helping others is what led her to work on the Sex, Etc. teen staff. The biggest lesson Colleen has learned in life is to not take anything too personally. “I feel it would lead to a lot less conflict and stress in the world if others did the same.” Colleen would like to continue her work helping others by volunteering, doing more humanitarian work and educating others about comprehensive sexuality education through Sex, Etc.

—Luke Morgan, 17
 

Clarence is currently in his senior year at Morristown Beard School, where he enjoys classes about writing and filmmaking. Outside of school, Clarence has developed a love for creating movies. He has drawn a lot of inspiration from the book Rebel Without a Crew, a biography about filmmaker Robert Rodriguez’s rise to fame. Clarence hopes to study history and film at Cornell University and eventually have a career in Hollywood directing.

—Sam Dercon, 16

Sam, 16, is extremely excited to have gotten the job writing for Sex, Etc. and hopes to become a better writer. He is an avid writer and is finishing a novel he’s been working on entitled New Game. Sam hopes to eventually write screenplays for TV shows and may adapt one of his writing projects for a TV series. Sam likes to tell people that his life is a train wreck that’s been picked up by God.

—Francis Howitt, 16