Carla Madison
When you aim higher, you have the power to embrace curiosity. As I was scrolling through social media last summer, my mom stopped me in my tracks and started a conversation that changed the way I saw the online world. It helped me understand that there was a purpose to all the content I was seeing on my Instagram feed. Why not harness every click, tap, and swipe to actually grow a business instead of mindlessly scrolling?
So I set out to research, understand, and level up my future.
Sometimes you just have to work hard before school, after school, and on weekends.
My advice to my brother and younger friends and students: Consistency is the key. Consistently give more than is expected, because this is what leads you to where you want to go. It’s not rocket science, you just have to give a little more and expect a little less. Selflessness is what you do intentionally each day. It matters more than what you do once in a while.
It’s not easy to let comments roll off your shoulders. It takes energy, generosity, and discipline to not say what you really think.
Among my most prized possessions are words I have never spoken. ~Orson Scott Card
Background
I am a Gen Z teenager. My parents are known as Generation X and while I will always question why the millenials didn’t get credit in alphabetical sequence, I’m proud that I escaped some of the early technological and socioeconomic pressures of the early 2000s. My generation grew up in an online world, and trying to understand why mom and dad impose such strict limits on screentime has been at the forefront of conversation throughout high school.
For my AP Seminar Research Project in 12th Grade, I had planned to conduct a Survey about the use of Cell Phones in school. This project got stopped in it’s tracks when I underwent an emergency surgery during the fall of my senior year and was subsequently and unexpectedly diagnosed with Celiac’s Disease. More to come on my AP Research Project about Celiacs very soon!
I’m a creative at heart. I’m excited to embrace the technological world we live in and use it to create inspiration and innovation.
