Kelvin Bates

	In their own words, 16-year-olds discuss the pressures of getting into college, dating, blogging and more 16 by 16 • Ari Rubin • Carlyle Manns • Caroline Cox-Orrell • Chelsey Knight • Janelle Norman • Meredith-Leigh Pleasants • Tia Whipple • Kelvin Bates • Lisa Bunn • Shukan Patel • Lina Li • Stephen Serene • Jullia Park • Patty Yau • Ana Baric • CJ Martino Getting A Head Start • The New World of Internships Those unpaid summer jobs are no longer for rich kids, college juniors—or even just for summer Multimedia • Sixteen Candles Inside a Sweet 16 Party

I think that today’s teenagers are rejuvenating and broadening the American traditions of individualism, acceptance and self-determination. We celebrate our individuality and diversity — ethnic, religious, political, etc. — rather than hiding it. We are accepting of other viewpoints: my classmates are not afraid to say whether they’re Republican or liberal. We identify our religious beliefs, and my friends’ coming-out stories are accepted by their peers. We stand up for our beliefs, whether that involves a gay-straight alliance club at school or a downtown rally to bring attention to the genocide in Darfur.

Most of all, we are motivated to determine our own identities. Until recently, I never understood why being 16 was considered a passage into adulthood — even college is still two years away, we can’t vote, and we’re still under the auspices of our parents. But I’ve realized that this is the age when teenagers truly begin to become who they are. We do this by testing many viewpoints and experimenting with many beliefs. Being 16 is about finally making my own opinions with the information I’m given, rather than accepting others’ opinions as my own.

So be careful what you say around a 16-year-old; we are the future of America, and we’re creating our own values every minute of every day.

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