Express Yourself!

Host Youngjoo Ahn and Caie Kelley interview Ellen Hopkins, the #1 New York Times bestselling, award-winning author of eight young adult novels, including Crank, Glass, Fallout, and Perfect, as well as the adult novel Triangles. Hopkins’ second adult novel Collateral will be published in November 2012. Ellen Hopkins currently lives with her family in Nevada. Be sure to visit her online at ellenhopkins.com; myspace/com/ellenhopkins; and twitter.com/ellenhopkinsYA. Pro Parley Reporter interviews a librarian for his segment, and Youngjoo talks about making homemade books in Artsy Gifts

Hosts Youngjoo Ahn and Katelyn Eystad interview the magical lady who invented illusions for David Copperfield and Lance Burton, Diana Zimmerman, author of Kandide.Vanishing avocados, mega-million dollar conferences, haute couture jewels, and enigmatic beings, all part of Diana S. Zimmerman’s amazing life. Like her best selling, award winning fantasy adventure novel, “Kandide and the Secret of the Mists,” her role in the performing arts, as well as the business world, transcends the ordinary. She has been a performer, entrepreneur, and businesswoman since the age of eight when she invested all of her resources into a small magic trick. With a total capital outlay of 47 cents, she parlayed her investment into a spectacular 25-year stage and television career as the World’s Foremost Lady Magician.”

Youngjoo Ahn and Caie Kelley interview Dr. Don Martin to get a first person glimpse of the admission process to college and grad school and his take on going to community colleges. Road Map for Graduate Study: A Guide for Prospective Graduate Students, by Dr. Donald C. Martin, is the first comprehensive book about graduate school. A career insider, Dr. Martin takes readers from A to Z with respect to the Graduate School experience. He starts with doing research on graduate programs/institutions, then covers the application process, and ends with how to succeed once enrolled. A must read for anyone thinking about earning a masters or doctoral degree. This fall, Idealist is bringing hundreds of graduate schools to 17 cities across the country. If you’ve been thinking of applying, this is a great opportunity to meet in person with admissions staff from a variety of programs.

Youngjoo Ahn and Rachel Glass co-host the fourth episode in our Tough Talk Series in collaboration with Youth Voice in San Diego. Braving Gravity Reporter from Indiana, Today’s subject is peer abuse, peer pressure, and teen bullying with 17 year old guest, Joseline Suarez, a peer educator for Gang Reduction, Intervention & Prevention. Joseline was one of three young ladies honored in San Diego county as a positive role model. Clare Durant, reports on peer pressure and her first days of college in Indiana. When peers abuse their peers, the damage is long lasting and deeply impactful. With the many layers of Peer Abuse via technology, emotionally, verbally, physically, and sexually, the FEAR in a youth's reality can affect their relationships on many levels, including their peers, families, neighbors, teachers, coaches, and inhibit their capacity to heal.

Co hosts Steven Zhou and Youngjoo Ahn along with reporters Katelyn Eystad in New Jersey and Rachel Glass in Oregon welcome actor, musician, skydiver, and philanthropist Justin Tinucci to Express Yourself!™ Justin Tinucci is a thirteen-year-old actor, musician, and philanthropist. He became interested in acting after appearing on TV shows for a unique sport he is involved in – indoor skydiving. He and his sister, Kayla, were the first kid indoor skydiving team in the world to compete against adult skydivers in wind tunnels, sparking national media attention. He is known for his roles on popular television shows Big Love and iCarly, plus The Muppet Movie. He is passionate about volunteering and helping kids not as fortunate as he is to help make a difference in their lives. In the Gift of Giving, Katelyn offers great ideas to get teens involved with causes, and in Making a Difference, Rachel shares views on the fun and connections of volunteering and the importance of giving back.

Our talented teen co-hosts, Youngjoo Ahn and Steven Zhou, are not only great at broadcasting and writing, they are caring individuals who give back to the world. This past summer both donated their time to teach English in Korea and China. A full hour of their travels, experiences, funny stories, and ticklish banter will entertain and motivate. Steven and Youngjoo discuss their adventures as well as the challenges of living and working in another country. There were language barriers, weird food, hilarious videotaping, crazy clothing, sleeping on the floor, broken rules, and fascinating excursions. They bonded with their students and staff and both agreed that teaching is really difficult, yet completely rewarding.

Mega author superstar, Meg Cabot joins hosts Steven Zhou, Youngjoo Ahn, and field reporters Clare Durant and Caie Kelley to give her take on the college campus hijinx and the perils of pop. Meg Cabot is a #1 New York Times bestselling author of books for both adults and tweens/teens. Meg wrote the Princess Diaries series, which was made into two hit movies by Disney, sold over 20 million copies, and has been translated into 38 languages. After working for ten years as an assistant residence hall director at New York University (an experience from which she occasionally draws inspiration for her Heather Wells mystery series. First there was SIZE 12 IS NOT FAT ?Then, there was SIZE 14 IS NOT FAT EITHER ?You demanded BIG BONED… ?And now, Meg Cabot makes a triumphant return to her reader-favorite “Heather Wells” mystery series with… ?SIZE 12 AND READY TO ROCK.

Up and coming stars in music, cosmetics, and broadcasting are the focus of today’s Express Yourself!™ with co-hosts Courtney Cheng in California and Rachel Glass in Oregon. Clare Durant, a broadcast hopeful going to university in Indiana, auditions as a reporter for Braving Gravity, a newly launched Iowa band currently on a US tour and playing in New York City, We Are Jocelyn debuts their original music, and a new make-up artist for film, art, and fashion from Boston, Alexandra Angelone, jump off the Express Yourself!™ launch pad.

Co-hosts Vivien Lee and Courtney Cheng bring author and editor, C. Hope Clark on Express Yourself!™ to discuss how to make money writing and what it takes to pen both fiction and non-fiction books. New Jersey reporter, Katelyn Eystad offers her Gift of Giving with her newest service project, “Be a Backpack Angel.” Courtney and Vivien discuss famous authors who were rejected nunerous times before being published in Book It! and Say What? C. Hope Clark is founder of FundsforWriters, awarded Writer's Digest's 101 Best Websites for Writers for the past 12 years. Her newsletters centered around markets and funding opportunities for writers, reach 44,000 readers each week. She is also a mystery novelist, with a recent release of Lowcountry Bribe, A Carolina Slade Mystery and author of the non-fiction, The Shy Writer. She lives in central South Carolina where she pens her mysteries and works on a new nonfiction book for writers.

It’s a mash up as co-hosts Courtney Cheng and Vivien Lee welcome the New York rock band, Honor Society, named one of the breakout bands to watch by Rolling Stone Magazine and identified as a Buzzworthy band by MTV. They chat about their upcoming tour. Radio personality and recent college grad, Heather Brittany shares tips on how to be successful and enjoy your first weeks of university life. Health Beat Reporter, Nicole Eubanks offers stress busters for back to school and Caie Kelley, What’s Poppin’ reporter talks about the effects of TV and pop culture on educational pursuits.

Hosted by Youngjoo Ahn and Courtney Cheng, today focuses on the impact of drunk driving and underage drinking. Reports include Ryan Sim with Pro Parley, Artsy Gifts with Youngjoo, and Book It with Courtney. Joseline Suarez, a teen from Youth Voice in San Diego shares personal experiences and information to prevent teens from drinking. Alcohol related accidents kill someone every 30 minutes and injure someone every two minutes. Nearly one-third (31%) of driver deaths ages 16-20 were drinking drivers. Joseline discusses drinking promotions, how teen drinking affects relationships, and what can be done to curb this epidemic of underage drinking. Weeping Willows is a true story about a young girl's journey after tragically losing one of her siblings from a drunk driver when she was 15. Written by twenty-something Michelle Scavarda of Yorktown Heights, New York, this beautifully written and poignant story tells about how one young girl struggled through an unspeakable tragedy

Hosted by Youngjoo Ahn and Rachel Glass, this episode focuses on the impact of violence in teen relationships and audition two new reporters, Katelyn Eystad from New Jersey(The Gift of Giving) and Caie Kelley from California (What’s Poppin’?)Teenage Relationship Violence impacts millions of youth globally. With the three types of abuse (emotional, verbal, and sexual), one in five will experience teenage relationship violence. Research shows 80% of these individuals remain in abusive relationships. Awareness and community education are critically important.Eighteen-year-old Itza Perez, a leader with Youth Voice in San Diego is passionate about social justice and human rights and driven by her experiences and community outreach. Itza has been a Youth Voice member for several years and was the Founder and President of Hoover Dreamers at her high school. Sharing her original poetry, she impacts audiences with her passionate resolve to create a better world.

YA Best Selling Author Talks Writing & Publishing Hosted by Steven Zhou and Youngjoo Ahn with Youngjoo’s Artsy Gifts segment and a farewell to Steven as he leaves to work in China. Our hosts audition a new field reporter, Ryan Sim, presenting interviews from professionals with a segment called Pro Parlay. Move over, zombies, vampires, and werewolves, and make way for witches. Melissa de la Cruz is the New York Times and USA Today best-selling author of many critically acclaimed and award-winning novels for teens including The Au Pairs and Blue Bloods series. Today she releases, The Serpent’s Kiss, the newest novel in the New York Times bestselling Witches of East End. Melissa has worked as a fashion and beauty editor for The New York Times, Marie Claire, Harper's Bazaar, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, Allure, The San Francisco Chronicle, Teen Vogue, CosmoGirl! and Seventeen. She has also appeared as an expert on fashion, trends and fame for CNN, E! and FoxNews.

This episode of Express Yourself is hosted by Youngjoo Ahn and producer, Cynthia Brian with teen reporter Nicole Eubanks talking about culture and food in Health Beat and Youngjoo offering Artsy Gifts from our heritage. President Obama changed the immigration laws on June 15th to allow individuals thirty and under who meet certain criteria to get their Green Card and eliminate deportation. A young teen leader with Youth Voice from San Diego, California, Elia Ramirez shares her experiences on how immigration issues have impacted her life, what she is doing to help other kids, and how this new law will impact the young immigrants. Youth Voice members are peer educators by sharing imperative knowledge in their community. Elia Ramirez has been a youth leader for several years. Part of Youth Voice Ensemble, Elia has presented at Gang Summits, Teenage Relationship Violence, Graffiti Paint-Outs, and Civic Engagement opportunities.

Everyone fantasizes about being BFF with the pretty girl next door. But in the case of up-and-coming Hollywood based pop/rock trio Y i Yell, it actually came true.Y i Yell consists of brothers Michael and Demitri Lerios and their literal girl-next-door neighbor/frontwoman Gaby Symons. If you're looking for a comparison, Gaby's voice is a dead ringer for Gwen Stefani during her early No Doubt days, with a dash of Hayley Williams from Paramore and Gracer Slick from Jefferson Airplane thrown in for good measure. Guitarist Michael and drummer Demitri (who was in elementary school when they began!) provide a tight backdrop for Gaby's infectious vocals. Y i YELL ! is on a mission to define the expression of a young generation. They sing TWO songs LIVE on the program! `Find at more and watch videos at their web site.

Live broadcast from the Moraga Faire featuring Steven Zhou, Vivien Lee, Youngjoo Ahn, producer Cynthia Brian, sponsors, and guests. Our show features passerby's from the local Moraga Fair as they discuss their experiences at the fair, the various booths featured, and their opinions. At the same time, we take advantage of the portable sound studio set up at our booth to do professional-quality music and commercial recordings. This week's show features Joe Torbatt of Orinda Auto Detail, sponsor of BTSYA at Moraga Fair, Sal Captain winemaker at Captain Vineyards, and Ellen Beans Founder of the Moraga Faire and Moraga Citizen of the Year. LIVE performances by the musical stars on our Teen Radio team with Steven Zhou on guitar and Vivien Lee's vocals driving the force behind these recordings. Tune in for LIVE fun at the Moraga Fair! Thanks to the sponsors of the Faire booth, Orinda Auto Detail, Minute Man Press and Keigan Productions.

When Diane Ferlatte arrives on stage, you can’t help but be carried along with her charismatic style of telling that includes music, sign-language, movement, humor and song. She carries a stick and a treasure trove of stories, some with homespun wisdom, some with rhythm and rhyme, all with heart and life. Diane tells true-life personal & historical stories, as well as folktales, legends, myths, and fables. Besides passing on history & culture, Diane believes that storytelling helps to promote reading-readiness, visual imagery, imagination, and character/moral development. She has performed in virtually every state in the U.S. & has toured internationally many times. All of her recordings have won honors including awards from Parents’ Choice, American Library Association, National Parenting Publications, Storytelling World, iParenting Media, as well as a Grammy Nomination. Steven Zhou and Courtney Cheng host this storytelling hour.

Many of our teen reporters are graduating high school this June. We’ll find out how it feels to be at the end of a high school career and what’s next. Graduating senior, host Steven Zhou co-hosts with sophomore Youngjoo Ann. Youngjoo interviews Steven Zhou about his favorite things in life, putting him on the other side of the microphone for a change. Nicole Eubanks brings us a Health Beat party and Youngjoo’s Artsy Gifts celebrates graduation. Let’s get the party started! Woo Hoo

Live broadcast from the Moraga Faire featuring Steven Zhou, Vivien Lee, Mason Windatt, Youngjoo Ahn, producer Cynthia Brian, sponsors, and guests. Our teens interview a cross section of people of all ages to talk about their summer plans, dreams, hopes, and travels.Hear what people have to say about summer vacation. The Express Yourself!™ booth is sponsored by Orinda Auto Detail, Minuteman Press, and Keigan Productions

What is it like to be in the Olympics and have a Disney blockbuster movie about your Olympic exploits? Steven Zhou and Youngjoo Ahn interview Devon Harris, Captain of the legendary Jamaican Bobsled Team that captured the hearts of the world at the 1988 Calgary Olympics. Cool Runnings was based on the amazing story. At the heart of Devon’s message are the lessons of the power of persistence over obstacles in order to live one's best life. His mission is to bring this message of how everyone can keep on pushing and working for their dreams every day of their lives. The Keep On Pushing Foundation which he founded in 2006 aims to support and enhance the education of kids in disadvantaged communities around the globe. He is the author of the motivational children’s book, Yes, I Can! and Keep On Pushing: Hot Lesson From Cool Runnings. Field Reporters Youngjoo Ahn and Mason Windatt bring their savvy insights to this Olympic presentation