Stephen Serene

	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

Now that I am 16, I am starting to feel responsible for helping to solve some of the world's big issues. Until now, I have blamed poverty and disease in Africa, global warming, discrimination, national debt accumulation and war on adults. Now that I am about to become an adult I am gaining the ability to help mitigate these problems.

I recently received my driver’s license and began driving instead of using public transportation. My contribution to global warming has increased significantly and I must now work to fix that. My impending entrance into civil society also brings responsibilities. Soon, I will have to work to decrease discrimination and national debt. Until now I have just been content to educate myself about these issues. In the near future, however, I will have to decide to what extent I wish to help those in sickness and poverty. Will I study development? If I do, will I live intermittently in developing countries and America, with the family sacrifices such a life would entail? If I work in an unrelated field, how much money will I give to charity?

I am very excited to try and help the world. Yet I fear the day when the problems I have ignored or failed to solve lie on my conscience.

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