rebelling against low expectations
Last week we shared with you the amazing story of Flynn McGarry, a teenage homeschooled chef who is taking the culinary world by storm. That article, published by The New York Times was quick to label Flynn a prodigy, but this one, published last year reveals that Flynn resists that label. Instead, he points to hours-upon-hours of hard work as the reason for his success. Now 15, Flynn spends 160...
(New York Times Magazine) — One weekend in February, in the kitschy, barnlike house he shares with his mother and grandmother in the San Fernando Valley, Flynn McGarry was preparing an eight-course tasting menu for 15 guests. The McGarrys’ living room, which is dominated by a gigantic brick fireplace, had been cleared to make room for four tables draped with white tablecloths that his mom, Meg...
(BUSINESS INSIDER) — The latest example of 17-year-old Malala Yousafzai being wise beyond her years: She doesn’t use social media or have a cell phone because she’d rather focus on education. And she doesn’t think selfies are the best use of social media either. In a recent interview with The New York Times, the young Nobel Peace Prize winner explained why she isn’t on...
HONG KONG (The New York Times) — The slight teenager with heavy rectangular glasses and a bowl cut stood above the ocean of protesters who had engulfed downtown Hong Kong. His deep voice was drowned out by cheers, but the crowd did not mind: They knew him and his message. It was Joshua Wong, a 17-year-old student activist who has been at the center of the democracy movement that has rattled the...
My grades. My classes. My major. My career. My internships. My extracurriculars. My, my, my. Me, me, me. Listen to a student talk about school and you’ll get the impression that education is a very personal and individualistic pursuit. Well, maybe for some. But it shouldn’t be for Christians. Jesus said the whole law is summed up in one Great Commandment: “Love your neighbor as...
“Teens are irresponsible because their brains aren’t fully developed yet.” “Teens can’t handle grown-up tasks because the prefrontal-cortex doesn’t reach maturity till age 25.” You’ve heard these statements and others like them. They have guided public policy initiatives, informed parenting techniques, and enforced the myth of adolescence. Well...
Grades. That’s what we work for. Get good grades. Keep your GPA up. Aim for the 4.0. That’s what school is all about. Right? Wrong. School is about learning. For the Christian student, school is about worship. It’s about discovering the beauty and intricacy of God’s world and equipping ourselves to enter that world and shine for His glory. Believe it or not, the grading...
BOULDER, Colo. – A 17-year-old inventor in Boulder will receive a $50,000 grant to help develop a biometric sensor designed to prevent unauthorized people from firing guns. “I’ve been interested in technology for as long as I can remember,” Kai Kloepfer said. “After the mass shooting in the movie theater in Aurora in 2012, I started thinking about the role technology could play in preventing...
Here’s a revolutionary idea: Let’s stop complaining about school. Sure, homework can be mundane. Classes can be boring. Papers can be a nightmare. But education is 100% what we make of it. Our attitude matters. Think about it. Less than 1% of world gets to attend high school and college. Children and young people around the world risk their lives to get an education. Let’s make...
College students (and even high schoolers) have been told by well-meaning parents, teachers, and academic advisors: “Remember, you’re a student first.” The message behind this advice is simple and seems wise: Keep your priorities straight. Don’t let less important things crowd out the time, mental energy, and focus you need to maximize your time in high school or at...
rebelling against low expectations
