Inhale, exhale. Take the bite, you’re supposed to like it. The sour taste of salt filled my mouth, and I gagged, spitting it back onto the plate. I frowned, and my family laughed at my disappointment....

I hate being called African American. It's not who I am. It doesn't represent me, my family or my culture. I’m an African who was born in America. That’s it.   Growing up in the Black community,...

In 8th grade, I made the spontaneous decision to join the swim team, something I had never done before. My first practice, I was nervous— pretty much everyone else had been swimming their whole lives,...

As I’ve worked at Pine Knob Music Theater’s VIP Lounge, The Ivy, I’ve learned many things whilst I’ve bussed many tables and ran more food than I can imagine.  1. Chefs have the biggest hearts. Every...

I love fall. The air softens and cools following the sweltering August heat, the sun dips a little lower in the sky, casting a golden haze across the city, and trees shed their embers, freeing them to...

Half awake, I walk towards the Walled Lake Central High School entrance for my water polo tournament. But instead of being met with the usually empty hallways leading to the pool, I’m met with glitter...

I was eight the first time I wished I could change my skin. Standing in front of my pink bedroom mirror, I stared at the poster of Princess Tiana and imagined what it would be like to have her deep brown...

Most of my childhood memories consist of the joys of swim meets. Me and my friends running around with our caps tucked into our suits and our goggles wrapped around our wrists, writing on each other's...

I’d led my touring group in Reykjavik, Iceland to visit the city’s renowned cathedral – home to one the world’s largest organs. As I walked from the vestbule and neared the pew closest to the altar,...

The photo was crumpled, its edges worn and dogeared. My fingers brushed over its surface, leaving a faint smear as I scanned the image. An old oak tree stood tall, and there, hanging from a sturdy limb,...