“I’ve learned you are never too small to make a difference.” Greta Thunberg

With college deadlines looming and pressure mounting, this week’s broadcast turns inward, toward the grit it takes to be a teenager in a world obsessed with perfection. Host Julia opens the show with a commentary on the myth of effortless success, breaking down how real grit isn’t gold stars or motivational quotes, it’s bombing a test and still showing up. She explores the emotional grit behind staying in friendships, choosing honesty over silence, and knowing when to quit without giving up on yourself. In the second segment, Julia zooms in on what it means to be the youngest in the room, at meetings, on boards, in spaces where adults run the show. She unpacks the labor of being taken seriously: the double standards, the polite dismissal, the subtle performances of “maturity.” Julia offers tools for power, how to hold your voice, speak with clarity, and not let the silence erase your presence.

Follow us:

https://www.starstyleradio.com/expressyourselfteenradio

https://www.starstyleradio.com/guests-express-yourself

https://www.facebook.com/ExpressYourselfTeenRadio/

https://www.facebook.com/BTSYAcharity/

https://www.instagram.com/expressyourselfradio/

Sign up for FREE Newsletter: https://cynthiabrian.substack.com/

Buy shirts and hats with BTSYA logos: https://www.bonfire.com/store/be-the-star-you-are-merch/

Listen to StarStyle®-Be the STAR You Are!® shows: https://sites.libsyn.com/556617

Or https://www.voiceamericamedia.com/show/starstyle-be-the-star-you-are/

“I know nothing of man’s rights, or woman’s rights; human rights are all that I recognize.” Sarah Moore Grimke

With global conflict rising, human rights violations demand attention, especially abuses against women and girls. Host Julia begins the broadcast with an investigation of “The Myth of the Perfect Victim”. She asks, “Why do we know Gabby Petito’s name, but not Kaysera Stops Pretty Places, a 17-year-old Indigenous girl who went missing the same year? Who gets a multi-episode special, and who gets a paragraph at the bottom of a local news site?” The “Missing White Woman Syndrome” describes how the media overwhelmingly covers cases of young, white, conventionally attractive women while overlooking missing Black, Latina, Indigenous, and trans girls. If equality means anything, it means that every girl, every person, every background, every zip code, deserves to be searched for, fought for, and remembered.

Julia then interviews Valentina Casas-Sayek, who provides historical examples showing how nations either failed to act or courageously opposed injustices. Women face unique abuses that limit their societal participation, educational access, healthcare, and bodily autonomy, affecting global progress. She talks about the Stolen Babies of Spain in the Franco era and looks at how different societies handle violence against women. Understanding why some communities take action on women’s rights while others stay silent gives us key insights for creating fairer societies and preventing future harm worldwide. Women’s rights are human rights.

Bio: Valentina Casas-Sayek is a high school senior from Dallas, Texas, who is passionate about history and human rights. She has conducted research, written articles, presented her work at national symposiums, and created a podcast, Untold History, focusing on hidden parts of history. Valentina is also involved in her school community as an Honor Council member and a member of the lacrosse and field hockey teams. In her spare time, Valentina enjoys spending time with her friends and family.

Follow us:

https://www.starstyleradio.com/expressyourselfteenradio

https://www.starstyleradio.com/guests-express-yourself

https://www.facebook.com/ExpressYourselfTeenRadio/

https://www.facebook.com/BTSYAcharity/

https://www.instagram.com/expressyourselfradio/

Sign up for FREE Newsletter: https://cynthiabrian.substack.com/

Buy shirts and hats with BTSYA logos: https://www.bonfire.com/store/be-the-star-you-are-merch/

Listen to StarStyle®-Be the STAR You Are!® shows: https://sites.libsyn.com/556617

Or https://www.voiceamericamedia.com/show/starstyle-be-the-star-you-are/

Listen to all Express Yourself!™ Teen shows at https://sites.libsyn.com/560220

Or https://www.voiceamericamedia.com/show/express-yourself/

“Tell me what you eat, and I will tell you what you are.” – Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin

Host Julia and reporter Hanna tackle the topic that we chew on every day: ultra-processed foods. Hanna asks if it is ethical to sell food that is unhealthy just to maximize profits at the expense of our long-term well-being. What is the price of health? Whose responsibility is it? What is the future of food? Julia talks about food dyes and artificial flavors that are engineered to cling to whatever is touched, causing you to crave more. Color = emotion. Studies show that red triggers excitement and appetite. Yellow suggests energy and fun. Food companies know these colors get your brain buzzing. Teens are wired to seek novelty and risk. Studies in neuroscience show that the teenage brain’s reward system is hypersensitive, especially to intense flavors and sensations. What are you eating?

They have hope, courage, and are making noise!

Follow us:

https://www.starstyleradio.com/expressyourselfteenradio

https://www.starstyleradio.com/guests-express-yourself

https://www.facebook.com/ExpressYourselfTeenRadio/

https://www.facebook.com/BTSYAcharity/

https://www.instagram.com/expressyourselfradio/

Sign up for FREE Newsletter: https://cynthiabrian.substack.com/

Buy shirts and hats with BTSYA logos: https://www.bonfire.com/store/be-the-star-you-are-merch/

Listen to StarStyle®-Be the STAR You Are!® shows: https://sites.libsyn.com/556617

Or https://www.voiceamericamedia.com/show/starstyle-be-the-star-you-are/

Listen to all Express Yourself!™ Teen shows at https://sites.libsyn.com/560220

Or https://www.voiceamericamedia.com/show/express-yourself/