Name: Melissa Lovett Belk / Age:N/A
A young lady who wants to get out of Virginia and do something
great with her life, she has high aspirations for her life.
Melissa Belk of Dumfries, Virginia. Dumfries is a suburban area
where a young woman by the name of Melissa Belk resides. She has
a loving, supporting family. They can be strict, but they let
her do things within limits. She has a younger brother and an
older sister.
She sees herself as intellectual, reserved and open-minded. Being
around her friends and family is something that makes her happy.
Her craving to leave Virginia and try new things is what drives
her to work hard.
She attends Forest Park High School. In her free time she enjoys
writing and wants to work for a newspaper. When she is not at
school and at home she is hanging out with her friends or going
to the mall. She also likes movies, such as “Babel.”
She enjoys drama genre movies.
She says her three best qualities are listening, understanding,
and that she is nice. Her three worst qualities however are procrastinating,
being bad at science and others say she is standoffish.
Her influences are her parents and she has her own faith. Her
parents have been there for her and having her own faith gives
her something to believe in and keep her spirits up. She also
has a mentor who works for The Washington Post. Her mentor gave
her the application for this specific program and is helping her
move along in her path to journalism. She aspires to go to NYU
and her mentor will help her get there.
Her biggest struggle in life is “Just having people in my
life not understand,” Belk said. Even though there are people
who don’t understand her she has persevered and will make
something out of herself.
Profile written by Buck Campbell
Name: Zachery Brown / Age:N/A
At first glance you wouldn’t see much past
his rugged style and quiet demeanor but there is so much more
to him.
Zach currently attends South Floyd High School in the southeastern
part of Kentucky. He actually resides in McDowell, Ky., where
there isn’t much to do but party, go bowling or go to the
movies. When asked about McDowell his exact words were, “I
love my town.”
Zachery Brown has been the Captain of both the Quick Recall Team
and the Future Problem Solving Team for three years consecutively.
Zachery also founded his school newspaper and currently stands
as the Editor-in-Chief. This would sound similar to the resume
of a senior, but Zachery is only a rising junior and is still
16. Who ever said age wasn’t more than a number?
Jim Morrison, the poetic and passionate lead singer of The Doors,
is Zach’s motivator in life. Zach feels that Morrison was
“a creative genius and a poet.” Zach likes to base
his writing style off of that of Morrison.
All this from a person who feels his biggest accomplishment so
far in life is getting his driver’s license, and felt his
family was his biggest inspiration.
Zach has currently mastered the drums, guitar, and the saxophone
and plans to play the piano in the near future. He also plans
to start a rock band soon since rock bands are his main influence.
His top three bands are Guns & Roses because it taught him
to love music, The Doors because it influenced him to write and
Blink 182 because they revealed to him that he wanted to become
a rock star.
Zach is wise beyond his years and seems to be determined, well
rounded and very goal- oriented to be of such a young age. There
is much more to come from this small town country boy.
Profile written by Ashleon Butler
Name: Ashleon Butler / Age:
17
When the name of poet Henry David Thoreau comes
to mind, many people who know of the poet are aware that he thought
outside-of-the-box. This is similar to Ashleon Butler, 17, of
Atlanta, Georgia. Many of his interests are unique in their own
way, which for him provides comic relief to those who hear of
his out-of-the-ordinary quirks.
Growing up in Atlanta, Butler was often surrounded by drugs, alcohol,
and other illegal substances. Many of his friends and classmates
chose to participate in these activities, which resulted in the
students skipping school, dropping out of school, and being kicked
out of school. Fortunately for Butler, he was not one of them.
“I am not the average product of my environment,”
stated Butler.
One situation that contributed to Butler’s success is the
profession of his mother and grandparents. As teachers, they instilled
in Butler what it means to be a student at school, and what privileges
there are in attending school.
“When I see people do something to the teachers in class,
I think that someone else could do that to my mom, grandma, and
grandpa,” said Butler. “I take my classes and I make
a lot of jokes, but I don’t go too far like some people
do. I can relate to the teachers’ situations.”
Butler’s mom has been the biggest influence on his life,
as she had to overcome a lot growing up. Her family was very poor,
but she overcame this obstacle as well as many others to go on
and earn a PhD. at the University of South Carolina for public
health. She taught him that “against all odds, you can do
whatever you want.”
The quote that Butler lives by is, “Do a job, big or small,
do it well, or not at all.” If Butler is set on doing something,
he does it all the way.
Butler hopes to have a career as a sportscaster, but his real
dream and passion is for directing films. He hopes to direct hit
epics and movies that thousands of people will see.
He decided to participate in the 2007 Dow Jones Journalism Workshop
because it will help with his writing skills. As a future broadcast
journalism major, Butler likes speaking more than anything. However,
writing will greatly help in his career.
Trust is a major factor in Butler’s life. “I have
a hard issue with trust,” Butler said. “I believe
in people, but I don’t trust them. I used to trust people,
but they do not live up to what they say (that they are going
to do). They make empty promises, both friends and family.”
This does not play into his character, however, as he is easy
to get along with, and provides more laughs than one can count
in ten days’ time.
One of the most interesting facts about Butler is that he is obsessed
with hot dog water. “It is kind of like Kool-Aid,”
he replied with a laugh.
He loves a good cheese and egg sandwich, and likes to eat foods
that don’t mesh such as applesauce and bacon burgers. He
has so many little quirks that he cannot name them all in twenty
minutes, let alone in a day’s time.
Upon first being introduced to Butler, many wonder how he received
his name, since it contains the names of both a boy and a girl.
“My auntie’s boyfriend who I never met came up with
the name,” Butler said. “I was supposed to be Brandon
Kyrie, but he thought that Ashleon was more interesting.”
When Butler is close by, one can expect to laugh more than once
at his jokes, and to have a very interesting and enjoyable conversation.
Profile written by Laura Pepper
Name: Buck Campbell / Age:
16
When Richard Campbell is asked how he got his
nickname “Buck,” he tells the story of how his grandfather
christened him Buck before he was even born. His grandfather must
be an extremely perceptive man to predict the wild spirit of Buck
Campbell.
Buck is a 16-year old soon-to-be senior at Felicity-Franklin High
School. Though a little restless in his home town of Felicity,
Oh., he and his friends find ways to entertain themselves such
as “riding four wheelers, hanging out, and setting stuff
on fire.” Buck always has a good story to tell, and he proudly
tells the one of how he was bored one day, tried to start a fire
with gasoline, and ended up in the hospital. Buck is known for
his high energy and his good sense of humor.
Buck is not all play and no work, he is interested in pursuing
sports broadcasting for radio or being an anchorman. He is passionate
about sports and plays soccer and football. He is not sure what
school he wants to go to yet, but he is sure he wants it to be
an “awesome party” school. He is trying to get away
from the adolescent drama of his small high school. For now he
is just trying to have fun.
As an only child, Buck enjoys being the center of attention. He
is a striking contrast to his “mellow” family. He
excels as an anchor on his student announcements and is entertaining
to everyone in the workshop. There are numerous words that could
be used to describe Buck Campbell, but he sees himself as, “sexy,
confident, and Buckalicious.”
Profile written by Melissa Belk
Name: Tanika Danner / Age:N/A
A ball of fire sat next to me as I interviewed
Tanika Danner. With her beautiful brown skin and a bright smile,
Tanika, in the course of my interview, hummed three different
songs and swung in her chair continuously. “I like to follow
my own beat and music.” Well, what is in your head right
now? “Ciara, Like a Boy.” Then she laughed and fidgeted
in her chair.
Tanika is determined to show the world who she is through her
writing. “If you just look at me you can’t see who
I am, but in my writing I can say this is Tanika; this is who
I am.” Tanika loves a crowd. Her greatest inspiration is
her father. Reverend Joseph Turner is a man who pushed Tanika
in just about anything and everything. She is grateful.
Instead of dwelling in the past, Tanika learns from her mistakes
and focuses on her future. Back in Cincinnati, she is the editor
of her school’s newspaper. “I was the only junior
to be editor and had the most stories out of all the juniors.”
Tanika participates in the National Honor Society, with a 4.2
GPA. The girl stays busy, stays active, and stays determined.
She wouldn’t have it any other way.
“My passion is writing because it makes me feel like I can
do anything.” In the Dow Jones program, I watched Tanika
participate in interviews and game stories about UK Swimming and
Softball camp. She wrote about the press conference with UK Women’s
Basketball coach Matthew Mitchell, and volunteered to write about
Keeneland’s library. She was in her element, and she was
happy to be there.
Where do you see yourself in 80 years? “I have traveled
to almost every country. I married in Paris, my favorite city.
I have five children, and twenty-five grandchildren. I am all-natural,
no plastic surgery please.” Are you satisfied with your
life? Did you interview the people you wanted to interview? Did
you write the stories you wanted to write? “Oh, absolutely.”
Profile written by Olivia Packer
Name: Greg Fisher / Age:
16
Greg Fisher is a very goal oriented 16-year old
senior in high school. Greg lives in Dayton, Oh. where he participates
in basketball, football, and track. He wants to go into the biomedical
engineering field, and is taking all the appropriate classes to
get there.
Greg would like to attend San Jose State University, and dreams
of going to the Olympics in javelin throwing. Greg received third
in the nation in 2002 with the javelin throw. Greg makes sure
he competes in national track meets each year and practices a
lot to try to make his dreams come true.
Beyond Greg’s many achievements, he is just a normal 16-year
old kid. He likes to watch TV and play X-Box. He likes all types
of music except country. His favorite musician is Lil’ Wayne,
and his mom is his biggest inspiration.
If anyone can achieve what they want to do in life, I believe
that Mr. Greg Fisher can. Great things are sure to come from such
a well balanced, goal oriented young man.
Profile written by Zachery Brown
Name: Olivia Packer / Age:
N/A
Olivia Helton Packer has always been driven.
Between being pushed by her parents and a steady competition between
her and her older sister, she has always been able to rise to
the occasion and meet their expectations. “No matter what
I do, I’m going to be successful.” Words provided
by a single-minded scholar and not the stereotypical over achiever.
Olivia takes the stereotype in stride but would rather be recognized
for her work ethic. This in part, because it wasn’t until
her freshmen year of high school that she found her niche for
academics.
Once in high school, Olivia really started to excel. Becoming
involved in community service and academic organizations really
helped her come out of her shell.
She realized that with academic accolades came the confidence
she needed to counteract her meek demeanor.
Fortunately, she has no problem with confidence now, noting that
one of her worst qualities is that she is a know-it-all. “Sometimes
I just need to realize, I don’t know everything,”
but not to worry, because Olivia knowing it all does not protect
her from her own harsh criticisms.
Olivia is an admitted worrier and hopes to break away from that
during college.
Olivia’s ultimate goal is to find purpose in her life and
she is torn between choosing a career in journalism or medicine;
however, she loves to write and has carried a passion for writing
her entire life.
Her sweet personality makes her a joy to be around, while adding
to her beauty inside and out. This young lady has a promising
future ahead of her and will certainly find success.
Profile written by Greg Robinson
Name: Lauren Payne / Age:
N/A
Lauren Payne is going to be a senior at duPont
Manual High School in Louisville, Kentucky this year. She is a
very active member in her school; she played basketball for her
school her freshman and sophomore year and played for a local
team her junior year.
She filmed all the boys’ basketball game and was the vice
president of the Pep Club. She is a member of HSTMP (High School
Teachers Mentoring Program). She was a member of Big Brothers,
Big Sisters and was in the Ethic club and Key Club as Echo.
Her home town is Louisville and her favorite color is red. She
has one older sister, Asia Payne, who told her about the Dow Jones
Journalism workshop. Asia was in the program a few years ago.
Lauren has two favorite quotes, one from Gandhi: “Be the
change you wish to see in the world.” The other author is
unknown: “Life is too short to wake up with regrets.”
Love the people that treat you right, forget about the ones that
don’t, and believe that everything happens for a reason.
If you get a chance, take it. If it changes your life, let it.
No on said it would be easy, just that it would be worth it.
The person that inspired her the most was her freshman basketball
coach, Jocelyn Duke, who later became her mentor. She wants to
be a sports physical therapist right now but isn’t sure.
She wants to find a way to combined her love of sports and writing.
She is looking to come to UK after she graduates next year from
duPont Manual.
Profile written by Rebecca Ratliff
Name: Laura K. Pepper / Age:
N/A
The 2007 Stow-Munroe Falls honors graduate Laura
Pepper is definitely one to be remembered. With her booming voice
and her outstanding achievements, this girl is sure to have her
star shine brightly in America in the future. Born in Garfield
Heights and raised in Stow, Oh., Laura graduated with honors.
She has big plans for the future. Before she is fifty she plans
to be married with four children, published novels, and a successful
career as a major newspaper baseball coverage journalist.
The loyal, as she would call herself, philanthropist is hoping
to travel to Venezuela to visit with friends, and be a part time
translator for Hispanic athletes in America. In the immediate
future, participation in the Global Village Community, the International
Community, the Kentucky Kernel, and the Rec-Lee women’s
softball team are a must for her as well as curling up in bed
with a pile of romance novels.
As far as her influences, she states, “When I was young,
Barbara Bush was always on television and was so involved with
the country as far as improving the literacy rate in America.
Also Abraham Lincoln broke the first race barrier for whites and
blacks.” She is a non-denominational Christian who would,
if she weren’t going to be a journalist, publish and edit
her own novels full-time.
She would also have two brothers and one sister to even out the
score in fights. If you don’t know her, you had better get
to know this girl because she would most likely be an asset to
any story you need.
Profile written by Tanika Danner
Name: Olivia Packer / Age:
N/A
Olivia Helton Packer has always been driven.
Between being pushed by her parents and a steady competition between
her and her older sister, she has always been able to rise to
the occasion and meet their expectations. “No matter what
I do, I’m going to be successful.” Words provided
by a single-minded scholar and not the stereotypical over achiever.
Olivia takes the stereotype in stride but would rather be recognized
for her work ethic. This in part, because it wasn’t until
her freshmen year of high school that she found her niche for
academics.
Once in high school, Olivia really started to excel. Becoming
involved in community service and academic organizations really
helped her come out of her shell.
She realized that with academic accolades came the confidence
she needed to counteract her meek demeanor.
Fortunately, she has no problem with confidence now, noting that
one of her worst qualities is that she is a know-it-all. “Sometimes
I just need to realize, I don’t know everything,”
but not to worry, because Olivia knowing it all does not protect
her from her own harsh criticisms.
Olivia is an admitted worrier and hopes to break away from that
during college.
Olivia’s ultimate goal is to find purpose in her life and
she is torn between choosing a career in journalism or medicine;
however, she loves to write and has carried a passion for writing
her entire life.
Her sweet personality makes her a joy to be around, while adding
to her beauty inside and out. This young lady has a promising
future ahead of her and will certainly find success.
Profile written by Greg Robinson
Name: Rebecca Ratliff / Age:
N/A
Rebecca Ratliff, a 2007 Dow Jones Journalism
Workshop participant, says, “Writing is my way to get away
from reality--create my own world.”
Rebecca was actually referred to the Dow Jones program through
her mother who is the guidance counselor at her high school, Betsy
Layne. Rebecca is 16 and will be a junior during the 2007-2008
school year.
She has had five poems published and plans to join the school
magazine next year. One of her influences is her freshman English
teacher, Ms. Hudra Slocum, and she admires her for her positive
outlook on life, and her open-mindedness.
When asked how her friends would describe her, she laughed and
said “lazy, bossy and loud,” but was at a loss for
words when I asked her how she would describe herself.
However, she is certain about what she wants to be in life. Rebecca
has dreams to one day become an author of either horror or teen
books, and despite her learning disability in English and mathematics,
she is determined to continue to focus on her passion.
“Shoot for the moon and if you miss, you will land among
the stars.” Although Rebecca doesn’t know where she
heard that quote, she tries to apply it to her everyday life.
Her interpretation is that “if you try and you fail, you
will at least achieve something from it.”
Rebecca has an older brother who will be graduating from the University
of Kentucky in December. She hopes to follow in his footsteps
as a Wildcat in a few years.
Profile written by Lauren Payne
Name: Greg Robinson / Age:
N/A
A self-proclaimed transcendentalist, soon-to-be
UK freshman Greg Robinson has set high aspirations and shows serious
potential. Raised mainly under the wing of his mother, an accountant,
Greg was encouraged to pursue happiness.
Robinson was born in Somerset, Ky.
He attended Cornerstone Christian Elementary School where he was
given the foundation that was later built upon in the later grades.
Robinson is not someone who feels comfortable being a wallflower.
During his attendance at North Laurel High School, Robinson participated
in as many extra-curricular activities as he could. Robinson enjoyed
playing tennis and was the Senior Class President at North Laurel.
He also belonged to the National Honor Society and Mu Alpha Theta.
Although Robinson was extremely busy with extra-curricular activities
he still found time for his studies. His favorite class in high
school was English, which serves as reason for his obsession with
journalism. Robinson’s plans for the future include a job
in public service.
Robinson will be a freshman in college this fall at the University
of Kentucky. During his collegiate years Greg plans to major in
Journalism, with an emphasis in Broadcasting, and minor in Political
Science.
Profile written by Greg Fisher
Name: Jasmine Whitlow / Age:
17
Jasmine Whitlow is a 17-year-old, incoming freshman
at the University of Kentucky. She graduated from Louisville Male
Traditional High School in Louisville, Ky. She is the daughter
of Denise and Marvin Malone and the sibling of older brother Corey
James who is in marketing sales for the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Jasmine is a very outgoing, open-minded type of person, but at
the same time is aware of her surroundings and can be complicated.
She has an alter ego named Jazzmina who just doesn’t care
about anything and takes risk.
Jasmine eventually wants to be her own boss with her own magazine
agency, and write and publish at least three books by 25 years
of age. But before this she will finish her college years by ending
with a master’s degree in English.
Jasmine has been on Honor Roll her past four years of high school
and kept an overall 3.5 GPA. “ I have been published in
three youth journals, won a black history essay contest and been
published in Teen Ink Magazine for my poetry,” Jasmine said.
Jasmine’s family tends to keep her motivated although some
people seem to misunderstand her motive of being career orientated.
She has had to live up to her brother’s standards and overcome
the challenge of establishing her own identity within her family
and herself. During these times she had to find a way to express
herself and found it through writing. “Writing and helping
people has always been my passion. When I write I know I can be
me and there is no one there to judge me. It opens my eyes to
what I can do,” Jasmine said.
Although Jasmine is about her business, she still finds time to
hang out with friends and go to parties. She is keeping her eye
out for that clean-cut, educated, respectful, motivated, cute
guy. With that in the back of her mind her main focus is to take
advantage of all of the opportunities to come ahead and not let
anyone hold her back. Jasmine said, “ My purpose in life
is to fulfill the plans God has for me.” What doors He does
open for her, she will go through.
Profile written by Ashley Beeler
