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Suffolk News-Herald Sunday, February 28, 2021
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If you’re prone to feeling distressed about the future — the future of our city, our state, our nation, our world — we hope you’ll keep this special edition handy to look through again and again when those thoughts consume you. In our special Progress 2021 edition, we present “20 Under 2021: 20 Young People Who are Changing the World.” In this edition, you will read about young people who have started their own businesses, are already nailing their careers, are serious about STEM, are initiating kindness in a big way, are active for social justice causes, are overcoming their own serious health issues, are using the arts to influence others, and more. Every single one of these young people is from right here in Suffolk, and we could have filled quite a few more of these editions with many other young people just like these. So we don’t want anyone to fret about the future — these young folks have it covered.
Chiamaka Nnawulezi
5 ............ P.T. Meadors
7 ............ Benjamin Gardner
9 ............ Shaleah Tolliver
11 .......... Ayana Johnson
13 .......... Christian Edwards
15 .......... Lainey Drake
17........... Eliana Carson
19 .......... Zoey Swindell
21 .......... Aubrey Freeman
23 ..........
............ 4 Erin Hartnett
............ 6 Trinity Woodson
............ 8 Jaden Knight
.......... 10 Cheyenne Nelson
.......... 12 Brendan Old
.......... 14 Marshall Thomas
.......... 16 Keon Wiggins-Saunders
.......... 18 Rachel Maples
..........20 Ezekiel Swindell
.......... 22 Destiny Jackson
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age:20 Chiamaka Nnawulez i knows what she wants to do and has her choice of fields to go into. Chiamaka is a third-year computer science student at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State U niversity. She got her start in the P roject L ead the Way program at Nansemond R iver High School, from where she graduated in 2018. She applied for the program in her eighth grade year. “I introduced us to all the different disciplines — civil engineering, architecture, computer science,” she said. Her teacher and mentor, Dawn R ountree, sparked her interest in modeling and simulation engineering, which led her to her current career path to get a bachelor’s degree in computer science. Chiamaka chose North Carolina A&T U niversity because she wanted to go to an HBCU , and she’d heard the school had a good computer science program and had good internship opportunities, even for freshmen and sophomores. It didn’t take her long to take advantage of that. In the beginning of her sophomore year, she applied for an internship with Microsoft Corporation, where she ultimately worked on a project involving facial recog-
nition, the cloud and artificial intelligence, aiming to improve the user experience across several different applications. “I think it really helped with my personal growth,” she said. “My manager and my team constantly reminded me I was here to learn and to grow.” Her achievements haven’t stopped there. In October 20, she and a team of peers won second place in a 24- hour Walt Disney hack-a-thon competition, where they created a virtual reality application to experience different theme park attractions. Chiamaka also conducts cybersecurity research in the computer science department at her school. She wants to go into a career path that allows her to combine modeling and simulation and virtual reality. “My main focus is to have a career where I can work with software engineering as well as virtual reality applications,” she said. “I’m kind of open-minded whether I want to go into the entertainment field or medicine field. I’m still not sure exactly where I want to be, but I feel like I’m on the right track.” — T r ac y A gne
w
What is your current bingewatch? “Naruto,” an anime show What is your favorite thing to bake? I make a really good honeybun cake.
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Chiamaka Nnawulezi
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age:20 E rin Hartnett has enjoyed dance for nearly her entire life, but her true passion is helping others experience the joy of dance. E rin Hartnett graduated from Nansemond R iver High School in 2 0 18 . She is the coordinator of, and a teacher for, Mixed Abilities in Motion ( or “MixMo”) at TR Dance in Norfolk. The program started out as an adaptive dance class for children and adults with Down syndrome. It has expanded to include Movin’ and Groovin’, for those on the autism spectrum, and the Wholly R ollers, a new program for dancers in wheelchairs, with any diagnosis. “I’ve watched several kids go through it for six years,” E rin said about the programs. “Seeing the development that they’ve had in their relationships with other students — some of them even learning how to talk throughout the six years — they are so excited to be there, and that’s what made it all worth it.” E rin recently earned her associate degree
from Tidewater Community College and is attending Old Dominion U niversity, pursuing a degree in exercise science on a pre-physical therapy track. She also works part-time as a physical therapy technician at Bon Secours InMotion physical therapy. “I go around to all the different clinics when they need me and make sure everything is clean,” she said. “That has taught me a lot about what my future career is going to look like and seeing the daily life of a physical therapist.” E rin said she wants to get her Doctor of P hysical Therapy degree through ODU . “In 10 years, I would like to be a physical therapist working in the pediatric side of sports medicine,” she said. “I also want to continue to volunteer with Down Syndrome Association of Hampton R oads or MixMo. I do really enjoy working with these kids and adults that come through.” — T r ac y A g n ew
What is your favorite vegetable? Grilled zucchini What is your favorite fruit? Blueberries
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age:19 When he saw a problem no one was willing to fix, P .T. Meadors decided it was up to him to do something. When P .T. was in high school in 2 0 18 , tensions were high after a shooting took place at a high school in P arkland, Fla. L ooking back, he remembered shooting and bombing threats at L akeland High School and no sophisticated protocol in place. He recalls the side doors remaining unlocked and no one at the front doors to monitor who came in. His classmates were scared, not coming to school and pulling out for homeschooling. Across the country, students were leading walkouts to promote safety in their schools. Seeing that no one at L akeland was doing anything, P .T. decided to act as well. “I’ve always been interested in leadership,” said P .T. “Generally, it was the way I was brought up — do something, don’t complain about it. If something needs to be done, and if no one else will, I’ll do my best.” While planning, he included teachers and school board members in the decisionmaking process to ensure that the event would be impactful. On that day, 6 0 0 students left their first-period class and went to the gymnasium. There, P .T. gave a speech, along with elected officials. “Soon after that, we saw more resource officers, the doors locked and more protocols going in throughout the next school year,” he said. “It
‘If something needs to be done, and if no one else will, I’ll do my best.’ really felt like my goal had been accomplished.” Following the walkout, P .T. saw that he could do more for his community. With midterm elections approaching, he realiz ed many seniors were not registered to vote or didn’t know about the candidates. He set up a two-day forum where candidates for Senate, District 4 , school board and city council could answer q uestions the students had and give the students a chance to register to vote. L ined up to attend were Tim Kaine and other significant candidates. Sadly, Hurricane Florence made an appearance, canceling the event, but P .T. was still grateful for the experience. Today, P .T. is 19 and still doing his part to make a difference. He is the freshman representative at Washington and L ee U niversity and is part of other leadership organiz ations and advocacy groups. He has no declared major yet but wants to do what he can to help others. — Rac h el W ar t ian
P.T. Meadors
What is one of your favorite hobbies? Water coloring What do you like to do in your free time? Go on hikes
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age:20 Trinity Woodson has enough accomplishments already to fill up a multi-page ré sumé , but that isn’t stopping her from being a strong voice for social and political justice. “I was always passionate about speaking up for people, and helping those that didn’t have a voice,” said Trinity, a L akeland High School graduate, “and then when I was thinking about what I can do now, that’s how I’ve gotten into education equi ty and also advocacy and political engagement.” In 20 18, Trinity, 2 0, was selected to be a member of Georgetown U niversity L aw Center’s Youth Advisory Committee for Girls of Color. She has also interned with the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation and U .S. R ep. Donald McE achin’s Suffolk office, and she was appointed to the America’s P romise Alliance Board of Directors for the new cohort of youth leaders. She is also a member of the National P TA and the U rban L eague and in August 20, Trinity was honored by the George H.W. Bush P oints of L ight Foundation for her community service.
She’s now a junior at Hampton U niversity. When she was younger, Trinity’s grandmother would take her to the library. Knowing that wasn’t always a common occurrence among people she knew, in June 20 19, she founded a reading initiative, ‘Trinity’s TumbleR eads’ where she held storytime for children at a Suffolk laundromat. “I definitely wanted to even the playing field for others and especially be helping out with anywhere I come from in my community,” Trinity said, “I definitely wanted to do my part in pouring back into the youth and into the community.” Trinity said she gets the most satisfaction from instilling hope in other people, and allowing them to be heard. “There’s a 5- year old Black girl in Suffolk right now, and I want to be that inspiration to her,” Trinity said, “and I want to be that inspiration to everyone because I think that it’s so valuable to fulfill your dreams, but it’s even more valuable when you circle back and help other people.” — Jimmy LaRoue
What is advice you would give to girls looking to step out of their comfort zone? Just do it and don’t be afraid to ask for help. What is your favorite book? “Long Time Coming: Reckoning with Race in America” by Michael Eric Dyson
Trinity Woodson
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age:19 Benjamin Gardner has had a long-time interest in Scouting, dating back to when an older brother joined the Cub Scouts in the second grade. So when Benjamin got to second grade, he joined Cub Scouts too, and has participated in numerous activities there, including family campouts, P inewood derbies, R aingutter regattas, Klondike derbies, bike rodeos, bottle rocket launchings and more. Benjamin stayed active in Cub Scouts until the fifth grade, when he achieved the Arrow of L ight and bridged into Boy Scout Troop 16 . Since then, he’s camped at least once per month and gone to week-long summer camps at Boy Scout council camps up and down the E ast Coast, eventually earning E agle Scout status in February 2 0 2 0 . “Scouting has afforded many opportunities to meet new people and have new experiences to different activities outdoors and indoors,” said his father, R obert Gardner. Benjamin also likes to help others by participating in service projects that benefit others in the community, and he feels proud of the work he has put in to earn
3 7 merit badges and several rank achievements, “with the pinnacle being E agle Scout.” Among the more valuable skills he’s gained from Scouting include life skills such as cooking, camping and swimming, along with duty to God, self and others and doing the right thing by following the 12 points of Scout L aw. But Benjamin, 19 , who attends Nansemond R iver High School, also kept up with interests outside of Scouting, playing baseball in the L ittle L eague Challenger division from around the first grade through 2 0 19 , and was set to play again last spring before COV ID-19 hit. He’s also been swimming with the Special Olympics for the past four years until the season ended in February 2 0 2 0 , and he has bowled with the Special Olympics for the past three years. Benjamin plans to continue with those sports as soon as activities can resume. He’s hoping to continue going to school for two more years and continuing his education and eventually getting a job. And no doubt, he’ll soar like an eagle. — Jimmy LaRoue
What is your favorite TV show? Anything food and or home improvement/design related What are your favorite hobbies? Playing outside with my dog, fishing, swimming, biking and playing video games
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age:13 At just 13 years old, Jaden Knight is aiming to make a name for himself as a photographer. The eighth-grader at Forest Glen Middle School has been taking photos with his Canon T7 camera since last summer, focusing on landscape photos, portraits and headshots. You can find examples of his work on Instagram @ jadensphotography0 711 and on his Facebook page, Jaden’s P hotography. “I had been looking into it for a little while, but I just started taking it serious,” Jaden said. He said people are surprised that he is a photographer because of his age, but that hasn’t stopped him. He has taken photos of engagements, birthdays and drive-by celebrations, among other things. Jaden said he likes to focus on the small details while seeking to take joyful photos. He seeks to make people comfortable during his photoshoots. “Most of the time what brings out the most is the simple stuff,” Jaden said. “L ike, it could be a little, smaller tree, but that small tree can have a big meaning. I like taking nature pictures. I like different stuff like that.” As he is growing his business, Jaden said the hardest part is staying consistent and getting his photos out there for people to see and learn more about him and his style. He said he has learned a lot,
‘It doesn’t matter what age you are. If you have that dream, I’d say go for it.’ especially about being patient. “I have learned that you have to take your time,” Jaden said. “You can’t rush. You have to put thought into what you are doing and make the picture look good, make the pictures look like something somebody wants to put on their wall. You want your picture to look good where multiple people will share, multiple people will like, multiple people will bookmark you.” After he takes his photos, he processes them using Adobe L ightroom, creating his own presets and making needed adjustments there. Jaden’s advice for other young people who want to start their own business is not to let anything stop them. That’s what he has done, and he has big plans for his photography going forward. “I want to grow in customers, I want to grow on social media, to show that it doesn’t matter what age you are,” Jaden said. “If you have that dream, I’d say go for it.” — Jimmy LaRoue
Jaden Knight
What is your favorite subject in school? Math What is your favorite TV show? “Martin”
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age:19 Shaleah Tolliver lived out a dream when she got a chance to see the play “Hamilton” at Chrysler Hall. Having been a fan of it since she knew it existed, on Dec. 19, 2019, she got the chance to read one of her own poems on the same stage as its cast before more than 1,00 people. But it was a fortunate turn of events for the now 19- year old U niversity of V irginia freshman to attend, so when she was called up on stage to read it, she seiz ed her “amaz ing” opportunity. She was proud of her poem, “Is a Slave a Slave Because He is E nslaved or Because He is a Slave?” She wrote it about Thomas Jefferson and his book, “Notes on the State of V irginia,” in which she noted his writings about the nature of slavery and Black inferiority. “I took his voice and translated it in a way that I thought would just prove how craz y racism is,” Shaleah said. She now sees parallels between herself and Amanda Gorman, who cited the “Hamilton” influence in her poem, “The Hill We Climb,” which she read at P resident Joe Biden’s inauguration. “I feel like rap is basically poetry to a beat, and in that sense that poetry is a way to make ideas pop,” Shaleah said, “because you’re not just stating them in simple prose.
‘I feel like rap is basically poetry to a beat, and in that sense that poetry is a way to make ideas pop.’ You’re singing a song with no music, and just like music, just like Hamilton and just like her poem, it speaks better and you’re able to get your message across.” An undeclared major, she wants to apply for U V a.’s political and social thought program — which she described as a philosophical twist on political science. She plans to minor in African American studies and eventually go to law school and focus on either public interest or human rights law. She’s learned a lot already in Charlottesville and is cogniz ant of leaving a positive legacy behind. “It’s not necessarily about you,” Shaleah said. “It’s about building a path for others to walk in the future.” — Jimmy LaRoue
Favorite song: “I Was Here,” by Beyoncé Who are three people, living or dead, that you would want to have a meal with? Michelle Obama, Shirley Chisholm and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Shaleah Tolliver
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age:11 While starting gymnastics at age 2 , Cheyenne Nelson was told she had dancer’s feet. It did not take long for her to develop a dancer’s heart as well. Cheyenne is 11 years old and has found a love for ballet. E ven though ballet and pointe are her passions, Cheyenne also takes lyrical, arco, and jaz z classes and is an Allonge E nsemble Dancer. Cheyenne dreams of one day being a principal dancer. These dancers are professionals that regularly perform for larger theaters in solos or pairs. “It’s really beautiful to dance and go above the stars,” said Cheyenne. “To have this artistic discipline where you have to have the discipline, but you can also just throw it out the window. It’s so much fun, and you just forget about everything else.” This year, Cheyenne got to participate in the American Ballet Theatre Summer Intensive for Young Dancers. This program
is for young, gifted dancers all around the world to audition and take part. Cheyenne had to attend virtually due to the pandemic. “It wasn’t all the experience I hoped for, but I still got the instruction, which is a big part of it,” said Cheyenne. The six-week class consisted of P ilates, ballet techniq ues and bonus classes like miming and character work. E ven though it was virtual, Cheyene still met professional dancers like Misty Copeland, the first African American female principal dancer with the American Ballet Theatre. “Being online was a different style of learning, but it was still full of new possibilities,” said Cheyenne. Cheyenne has been invited to audition again for the 2 0 2 1 American Ballet Theatre Summer Intensive for Young Dancers. — Rac h el W ar t ian
What is your favorite book? “The Secret Garden” by Frances Hodgson Burnett. What is your favorite dessert? New York-style cheesecake
Cheyenne Nelson
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age:14 Ayana Johnson has accomplished much in her 14 years of life, and has done it all while overcoming a chronic, life-threatening illness. Ayana has sickle cell disease, in which oddly-shaped red blood cells can cause blood clots, organ damage, severe pain and a host of other problems. But she doesn’t let that stop her. Ayana spends much of her time advocating for others, especially other young people, with sickle cell disease. She goes to Sickle Cell Association events and appears at blood drives to thank donors for giving. But that’s not all. Ayana participates in several styles of dance and currently takes dance classes online as well as attending Governor’s School for the Arts. She’s studying ballet, jaz z and hip-hop, among others. Ayana also has a business that sells apparel and accessories. “The first thing that inspired me to do it was because of my role as a sickle cell
activist,” she said. “The first things I started selling were sickle cell T-shirts for Sickle Cell Awareness Month.” She also has a “Melanin Made” line. Ayana advocates for the hospitals that have helped her in her sickle cell journey over the years. She is a 2 0 2 1 ambassador for Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughters, as well as a 2 0 2 1 national champion for the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. Ayana also participates in pageants, and she is the reigning Miss P iedmont R egion Outstanding Teen. Ayana sees herself growing in all of her abilities and talents in the next 10 years. “I would have graduated college by then,” she said. “Ten years from now, I see sickle cell being more known, and not just because of me, but because I am educating and motivating other people to speak up about sickle cell.” — T r ac y A g n ew
What is your favorite movie? “Hidden Figures” Who is your celebrity role model? Michelle Obama
Ayana
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age:17 At only 17 years old, Brendan Old has received two of the most prestigious ranks in two of the Boy Scouts of America programs. According to Boy Scout Magaz ine, only 5% of Boy Scouts earn E agle Scout ranking, and only 0.05% of Sea Scouts earn Q uartermaster ranking. Brendan has achieved both. Brendan is now 18 years old and a senior at Nansemond R iver High School. He joined Sea Scouts after a skipper visited his Boy Scout troop. “I have always wanted to do a water-related career, so I was very interested,” said Brendan. “It’s a much smaller program that you can bond with the friends in your ship. It has a strong community vibe. It’s a fun program, and I would recommend it to anyone.” According to Brendan, Sea Scouts is like Boy Scouts on the water. The program is for boys and girls ages 14 to 20 that go on trips from overnight sails all the way up to 10- day cruises. They learn about weather patterns, knots, boating, survival skills and camping, to name a few. Brendan earned his Q uartermaster rank in December 20 . He is the second in his ship’s history to receive it — the previous one was 12 years ago. “What makes this rank so hard is that the others you earn by learning new skills; this one you earn by teaching skills to others,” said Brendan. He taught basic skills to the lower-ranked Sea Scouts, called
‘What makes this rank so hard is that the others you earn by learning new skills; this one you earn by teaching skills to others.’ apprentices. To finish the long list of requi rements, Brendan conducted a service project at the V iBe Creative District in V irginia Beach with a team of seven other volunteers. The service project involved the cleanup of 18t h Street P arklet. Now that he has completed ranks, Brendan goes to meetings to teach and help. He is still a Sea Scout until he turns 21; then, he’ll have to register as a leader. He wants to continue as a leader when the time comes if he is still in the area. Brendan doesn’t yet have any set plans for after graduation but has applied to numerous schools across the country. P ossible plans include Texas A&M, Old Dominion U niversity and the Coast Guard Academy. “I haven’t decided what I am going to do yet,” said Brendan. “It will just depend on who I end up hearing back from.” — Rac he l W ar t ian
Brendan Old
What is one of your favorite hobbies? Weightlifting What is your favorite food? Sushi
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age:18 When George Floyd died in Minneapolis in May 2 0 2 0 , it sparked an international movement for racial justice. Christian E dwards, even though he was a very recent graduate of King’s Fork High School at the time, felt motivated to do something. “I was really, really emotional in the wake of the George Floyd protest and everything that was going on,” he said. “It was really starting to dishearten me with everything that was going on in our world and seeing how my people were being treated. I decided it was time for me to use my voice and speak up.” Christian created a video and shared it on social media, and it got a lot of engagement. That’s when he decided to do even more. Only a little over a week after Floyd’s death, Christian organiz ed a protest march in downtown Suffolk, which drew hundreds of people from all walks of life. Christian said he plans to continue his activism. “It is something that is on my mind and I still participate in in college,” he said. “I intend on doing more when I get back home for the summer.” Christian attends George Mason U niversity, where he is working toward a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in printmaking and book arts. “I’ve always been interested in art, and I feel like art is a way to reach people and connect with people,” he said. L ooking toward the future,
‘I’ve always been interested in art, and I feel like art is a way to reach people and connect with people.’ Christian sees himself continuing both in artwork and activism. “In 10 years, I would like to have some type of media release, whether that’s a book of clothing or things of that sort,” he said. “I would like to be traveling and just doing all that I can to raise awareness for activism and Black L ives Matter. “I also just want to be still creating art,” he added. “I would like to have a studio at that point, not just creating art but selling my art and teaching people how to do art.” Christian draws inspiration from his mom, Shirron Sears, who is an entrepreneur. She owns Care @ Its Best In-Home Health Care Services. “Nothing would have been possible without my mom,” he said. “I really appreciate her being in my life, because she is truly an inspiration to me.” — T r ac y A g n ew
Christian Edwards What is your favorite food? Lasagna What is your favorite movie? “The Breakfast Club”
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age:18 Marshall Thomas didn’t remember much when he was initially hospitaliz ed in Colorado after being diagnosed with pre-B acute lymphoblastic leukemia in June 2019. And while he has been going through treatment for cancer, he still wasn’t his fully energetic self. So as his health improved, the Suffolk teen was ready to come out of his own qua rantine. But last spring, Marshall, a homeschool student who will graduate high school this year, ended up having to qua rantine again for the coronavirus pandemic. “I’m a professional,” he joked. Now 18, the Suffolk teen, even with having to go to the hospital every other week for chemotherapy and lab work, is much more himself again, full of energy and ready to take on the world. “Nothing’s making me sick anymore,” Marshall said. “So I’m in a lot better mood, feeling a lot better.” And in addition to his studies, Marshall has built himself a computer and he has a job again, having become a certified locksmith. After he graduates, he hopes to work more and draw a salary.
Marshall said he appreciates all of the support he has received, and continues to receive, even after his cancer had gone into remission. “Family is important,” Marshall said. “If you get sick like that, you can’t really do anything for yourself, so you’ve got to have people there that will be willing to help you walk to the bathroom, things like that.” Being an independent teenager, needing help from others wasn’t always easy to accept. “It was pretty hard,” Marshall said. “I was pretty self-sufficient before that. At one point, I lived with my cousin for an entire summer. We would just get up and work and do our own thing.” But the cancer was only one part of what he was dealing with. “It’s been difficult afterward too, because I got diagnosed with clinical depression,” Marshall said. “I’ve pretty much gotten over that now, but that was just as difficult as the cancer part, just in a different way. I definitely have a new respect for people who have had it their whole lives.” — Jimmy LaRoue
Marshall Thomas
What is one game you would want to have if you were stranded on a deserted island? “The Forest” What word or phrase would you use to describe yourself? Hard-working
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age:20 E ver since she was young, L ainey Drake has been fascinated with learning about the world around her, especially when it came to space. She grew up staring at the stars, reading science fiction and learning about NASA. Then in high school, the world opened up for L ainey as she was introduced to physics. “It all stemmed from a basic love of space,” said L ainey. “I always wanted to know more, and math was definitely my best subject in school. When I got into physics, I learned you could use math and different types of physics to learn more about the world around you.” Now, she is 20 years old and starting the second semester of her junior year at Wake Forest U niversity, double-majoring in physics and theater. In 20 20, she was accepted into the Brooke Owens Fellowship. Out of 56 applicants from 290 universities and 15 countries, L ainey was then one of 40 to be accepted. This fellowship provides internships for young women and other gender minorities in the aerospace industry. She did an internship at V irgin Galactic in L as Cruces, N.M.,
in the engineering department. U nfortunately, due to COV ID19, she had to attend the internship virtually. This summer, she is staying in the V irgin family and has a paid internship at V irgin Orbit in L ong Beach, Calif. L ainey will be working with system engineers and doing other tasks that are very similar to her internship last year. Along with the coding, she will be in person to get the hands-on experience of working on hardware. “I want to do avionics,” said L ainey. “I’m working off of one experience I had and loved it. I am just here for the ride because I know I don’t know enough to decide right now, but that’s enough.” After graduation, L ainey hopes to move to Southern California, a huge driver of space with big and small space companies, to work full-time in the aerospace field. “I enjoy learning about everything around me,” said L ainey. “The universe is so vast, so I will always be learning and figuring stuff out for the rest of my life, and that excites me.” — Rac he l W ar t ian
Lainey Drake
What is your favorite dessert? Tiramisu What is your favorite play? “Baltimore Waltz” by Paula Voge
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age:18 At a young age, Keon Wiggins-Saunders had a message to share and found an effective way to get it across. At age 14 , Keon’s stepdad and mentor, Donz ell P owell, told him that he needed to create something that he could truly own. “I came up with the idea to either make clothing or music,” said Keon. “I felt like clothing would be a more effective way to get my message across.” The clothing brand became R ich Kid Nation. The name derived from an old nickname of a group of friends that was more like a brotherhood to Keon growing up. The group of young boys called themselves “The R ich Kids.” After growing apart, he realiz ed he was the only one still using the nickname and checked in with the others to use it for his brand. After drawing up a logo, he ordered the first round of 4 8 shirts in February 2 0 18 . The message of R ich Kid Nation is to “be rich beyond monetary gain.” According to Keon, this wealth can come through beauty, encouragement, bravery, intelligence or other positive q ualities one
has. The message is that no matter where someone may come from, everyone can be part of the “R ich Kid Nation.” “I felt like the best way to tell this message is by putting it on clothing as a brand for all to see,” said Keon. Today, Keon is 18 years old and studying marketing at Howard U niversity after recently earning his associate degree from P aul D. Camp Community College. The brand in the past few years has already grown exponentially. The R ich Kid Nation logo can now be found on hoodies, masks, baby clothes, crop tops and more in a variety of colors and styles. He hopes to extend the brand into something more significant to proclaim his message about true wealth. This young entrepreneur already has many ideas to accomplish this. “I want to grow this brand from just a small business to a major one,” said Keon. “I want to use music and other resources other than just clothes to get my message across.” — Rac h el W ar t ian
What kind of music do you like? Oldschool music What’s one thing you want people to know about you? I am very big on family. I am the oldest of eight siblings and the first in my family to go to college.
Keon Wiggins-Saunders
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age:12 When E liana Carson and her friend R achel Maples were looking for a business to start, they wanted to do something original. “Originally, we were going to do a lemonade stand, but we thought that wasn’t original at all,” E liana said. “So we thought we should think of something more interesting, and we thought about her sea glass. This was at 1 a.m. at this point, and we were Googling up sea glass stuff, and we just found that that was pretty cool.” After a few hours’ sleep, they planned it out and got their parents to provide them with a $ 2 0 budget to buy supplies. After that, they went out to collect sea glass and begin making art and handcrafted jewelry. The Nansemond-Suffolk Academy seventh-graders took their business, Seaglass Co., to last February’s Young E ntrepreneur
Business E xpo at the Hilton Garden Inn Suffolk R iverfront and won $ 2 0 0 for having the Most Original Business idea. At the show, E liana, 12 , learned more about how to run her business, how businesses work, money-management and social skills — all things she hopes to apply to the upscale restaurant she hopes to run one day. “I’ve always wanted to be a business owner,” E liana said. “I was thinking about opening up a restaurant or something, and the skills we learned from this business could really help me when I have a restaurant.” Her own advice for young people like herself who have the ambition to strike out on their own was blunt: Do it. “You’re going to be in the business industry making a bunch of money,” she said. —Jimmy LaRoue
In a word or phrase, how would you describe yourself? Socially awkward What is your favorite TV show? “Riverdale”
Eliana
Carson
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age:12 L iving along the water, R achel Maples noticed the sea glass she and her family would find. And in the sea glass, she found an opportunity. R achel, 12, along with her friend and Nansemond-Suffolk Academy classmate, E liana Carson, started the business, Seaglass Co., during a sleepover, using that sea glass to make art and handcrafted jewelry. Their business earned them the Most Original Business honor and $20 at last winter’s Young E ntrepreneur Business E xpo at the Hilton Garden Inn Suffolk R iverfront, and the two seventh-graders donated 10% of their profits to Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughters. “We live on the water, and we talked and were like, ‘Hey, wouldn’t it be cool if we started a business,’” R achel said. Having seen others do interesting things with sea glass, the duo thought they could also. They started with easier things to make, and progressed from there, pricing out supplies and their creations. They had found a local business to help them sell their
creations, but when the coronavirus pandemic hit, it put a pause on the business, and with school and other new things on the horiz on, they haven’t been able to restart it yet. Whether it does or not, R achel hopes to use the skills she has learned in a different challenge in the future. By learning how to manage money and work together, she believes those things will prepare her for college and future jobs. “It’s been really interesting, and I would want to do something like this again,” R achel said, “because I enjoyed it and I also learned a lot about how to do stuff, and I might go into business in the future.” What advice would she give to a young person like herself wanting to start a business? “I would say that you should definitely do it,” R achel said, “because, especially at our age, the worst thing that could happen is that you stop doing it, and maybe you lose a little bit of money. It won’t ruin your life, and it will give you practice for the future no matter what.” — Jimmy LaRoue
Rachel Maples
In a word or phrase, how would you describe yourself? Socially awkward What is your favorite TV show? “Umbrella Academy”
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age:10 Z oey Swindell grew up watching her mother, Tonya, write poems and stories on her computer. At age 7, Z oey realiz ed she wanted to do the same and started to write too. Today, Z oey is 10 years old and has received numerous awards for her poems and other writings. L ast school year, Z oey won first place in a young authors’ contest for the fourth-grade class at Creekside E lementary School. “I like that I can express myself through words and show my personality,” said Z oey. “Also, I can make myself laugh with the funny poems I write or make other people laugh too.” E ven if Z oey’s poems provide a chuckle, they also can carry serious themes, like her award-winning poem “You Are Beautiful Just the Way You Are” from the 2018 TidewaterR eads.org regional poetry contest. According to her poem, “even if you fell into a tree and fell on your head. Well, you got hit in the right spot because when you woke up, you were beautiful, because God had a plan and that plan is you will always be beautiful, no matter what.” Z oey is always ready to share her poetry with others. This school year, Z oey’s annual
back-to-school tea party was moved to virtual, and she read her poem “We’re All in This Together” to inspire her friends even though they were apart. “I started a tea party for my friends before we go back to school so we can see each other,” said Z oey. “We want this to inspire other mothers and daughters to spend time together and encourage each other.” This tea party has had notable speakers, including Dr. Christine Darden, who was one of the “human computers” working for NASA during the space race. Z oey also got the chance to participate in a V IP mixer when special guest author Olugbemisola R hudayP erkovich visited Suffolk P ublic L ibrary for a Z oom party. She got to attend because her que stion was chosen to be asked during the live event. E ven in her que stion, Z oey proved that writing is always on her mind and something she will be thinking about for a long time. “I asked her if she could publish one of my stories,” she said. “It’s not finished yet, though.”
Zoey
— Rac he l W ar t ian
Swindell
What is your favorite TV show? “That’s So Raven” What is your favorite dessert? Brownies
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age:13 E z ekiel Swindell can’t q uite remember when he started drawing, but he has as long as he can remember and doesn’t plan on stopping. E z ekiel is 13 years old and has been recogniz ed on multiple occasions for his amaz ing artistic talents. In 2 0 19 , E z ekiel had the opportunity to participate in the annual tradition of Suffolk P ublic Schools students painting downtown business windows for the Christmas season. He painted a winter scene of a log cabin with a snowman on the window of Baron’s P ub, a highly trafficked restaurant in downtown Suffolk. E z ekiel has also won three scholarships from the Suffolk Art L eague for his art. In the 2 0 19 -2 0 2 0 school year, he won the Sharon P icot and Chip P icot Student Scholarship and the John R . Taylor Memorial Scholarship for V isual Arts. He won the Taylor one again this school year.
He hopes to put the money from these scholarships toward Governor’s School for the Arts. E z ekiel’s plan is to try for next year’s summer camp for visual arts. E z ekiel keeps his creative process simple. Since he is only in seventh grade, E z ekiel has not thought much about his future but figures he will do something with art. “I draw a lot of realistic stuff like people and faces,” said E z ekiel. “I’m trying to draw other things too from my imagination.” E z ekiel also loves to bake cakes and cupcakes. He won the 2 0 18 Cupcake Wars for his age division at L ake P rince Woods R etirement Community to raise money to end Alz heimer’s. His winning creation? Cupcakes that looked like apples. No matter the format, if it is something artistic, E z ekiel’s masterpiece is sure to stand out. — Rac h el W ar t ian
What are your favorite books? The “Amulet” series by Kazu Kibushi. What is your favorite movie? “The Mysterious Island”
Ezekiel
Swindell
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age:8 Most children make a list a mile long of what they want for their birthday. However, Aubrey Freeman had a different idea. Aubrey is 8 years old and has a passion for caring for those less fortunate than her. Instead of asking for gifts for herself on her birthday, she wants friends and family to give her donations for local homeless shelters. “Why I started is because people are on the street and the people that walk by don’t treat them like they would want to be treated,” said Aubrey. “If they ask for money, people will probably do nothing. I don’t want them to be treated like that.” She started collecting on her birthday in 20 0. Sadly, during her actual birthday in May, the world was still on lockdown from the COV ID-19 pandemic. Instead, she rescheduled her birthday celebration to the end of June. Friends and family drove by, helping her collect more than 30 cans of food, surpassing her 100- can goal. P eople not only donated at her drive-through birthday, but many donated at her mom’s work at P lanters and her sis-
ter’s job at the Suffolk P olice Department. She divided the 30 cans with the clothes and money donations between two shelters in Suffolk and sent the bigger cans of food and clothes to the U nion Mission in Norfolk. “It feels great and makes me happy,” said Aubrey. “My goal is to do a little more each time and let them know they are loved.” Aubrey’s family is always there to support her and her causes as they wear their #T eamBre T-shirts and masks. Her mother, L atoya Savage, helped her start the Aubrey Freeman Foundation, where they regularly put in donations or their own money to fund Aubrey’s next projects. “As a mom, I am very proud of her and glad to be able to support her,” said Savage. “To be this young and understand the needs of people. She likes to see people happy and loved.” Aubrey hopes that in the future she can expand and help cancer patients as well. For now, she will continue to donate on her birthday each May. — Rac he l W ar t ian
Aubrey Freeman
What do you like to do in your free time? Sing and play basketball What is something you have accomplished? I wrote a children’s book, “A Trip to Granny Bear’s House, in 2019.”
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age:17 Destiny Jackson didn’t know she was creative — until she began to create. The 17-year old King’s Fork High School junior, as if she didn’t have enough going on between two jobs and schoolwork, started a new business over the summer during the coronavirus pandemic. With both of her parents entrepreneurs, Destiny knew she wanted to start her own business, also, but she wanted to find her niche. After doing her research and then talking about it with her parents, that niche turned into Des Kreations, her outlet where she makes homemade keychains and sells them on her website, deskreationsshop.com and on her Instagram page, @ DesKreationsShop. “I wanted to do something different that I haven’t seen many people do,” Destiny said. “I came across these keychains and I did research on them, how do people sell them and prices and stuff.” It surprised the people who knew her, since she hadn’t been a crafty person before this. But after putting the time into it, she learned how to make them, and she loves what she does.
“When I started making them and started liking them really good,” Destiny said, “that’s when I decided I could go with this. I can sell them and I think people will really like it.” Fulfilling those first orders made her excited, and she has fallen in love with what she’s doing, seeing the reactions her ‘Kreations’ have generated from customers — not all of them young like she expected. “I’m like, ‘Oh my God, people really like stuff like this,” Destiny said. She balances the work for her business with the part-time office assistant work she does for her mom’s business, working four days per week at the Suffolk Family YMCA and her virtual learning. Destiny’s goal is to grow her business globally and eventually attend North Carolina A&T in Greensboro. Her advice to other young people thinking of stepping out and going into business for themselves? “Always stay motivated and stay consistent,” Destiny said, “and treat your business like it’s your baby.” — Jimmy LaRoue
What is the best advice you’ve received? From her cousin — “Don’t go in business with something that’s already very popular. Don’t follow the trends. Start your own trend.” What is your favorite show to watch? YouTube videos looking for new styles or new things to buy to make more things.
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