Kayla Delarosa, a 17-year old North Philadelphia native, attends Community Academy of Philadelphia. A timid young woman on the first impression, Kayla tells quite the compelling story when asked about her aspirations. With a dream of becoming a magazine writer, Kayla committed to the Acel Moore High School Journalism Workshop in hopes of improving her writing and interviewing skills.

Fortunately, she is not new to journalism. At a young age, Kayla could recall having a strong attraction to books and writing down notes in little notebooks. Since middle school, Kayla has been a part of her school’s newspaper. She made a comparison to singers who at a young age would always sing. A career in journalism feels like a gut feeling, “feels like a sign.”  Kayla recalled a time she read her Gemini horoscope for fun, and it stated that her top jobs would be a journalist or a type of writer.

“Oh my god. I have to do it,” she remembers thinking.

Her mom even joked that she should take up journalism in sixth grade.

After high school, Kayla hopes to attend the University of East Stroudsburg. With the university’s vast mountain surroundings, she feels like it will fit her perfectly because she wants to be in a nature-filled, relaxing environment to help inspire her writing. The campus diversity draws her attention as well: her father is Dominican and her mother Puerto Rican, so she feels comfortable with a diverse atmosphere.

Kayla is a volunteer at Concilio, the Council of Spanish Speaking Organizations of Philadelphia, a Latino organization based in Philadelphia. Kayla is able to help students her age apply to college and for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

“I want a voice when it comes to my race,” Kayla said.

Kayla feels as though she strongly represents her nationality and wants to use her journalism abilities to do so.