Cincinnati, Ohio, April 11, 2016 – Saint Ursula Academy junior Janie Michel of Pleasant Ridge is sharing her voice with the New York Times! Janie was recently chosen by the New York Times as a “Student Council” advisory member to share her opinions, along with the opinions of teenagers across the county, on content published in the New York Times which is relevant to teenagers today.
Janie has always believed in the importance of asking other’s opinions in order to make improvements. When Saint Ursula Academy librarian Jill Herald posted on her blog that the New York Times was accepting applications for a “Student Council” to learn the opinions of teenagers across the country, Janie was intrigued. Initially, she stopped short of applying, thinking there was no way she would be chosen as one of just 25 students from around the country. After encouragement from friends and family, however, she applied and was thrilled to be chosen to voice her opinions in such a public forum.
The New York Times decided to create this council “based on research which found that there are as many ways of reading The Times as there are Times readers, and it helps us choose content for the blog to hear from teenagers around the world about what they find most interesting and important.”
Since being involved with the NYT Student Council, Janie has helped create content, revise blog posts, and review previously published articles. Her main goal is to help make newspaper more relevant and accessible for her generation. So far, she has contributed to several pieces addressing everything from gender identity to homelessness, and is currently working on an article about body image in the media age.
In addition to serving on the NYT Student Council, Janie is very involved in activities at Saint Ursula Academy. She is a School Ambassador, and boasts memberships in the National Honor Society and Spanish Honor Society. She participates as a member of the Student Outreach Services Group, Model United Nations, Students for Advancement, Astronomy Club, Sign Language Club, Film Club, and Campus Ministry.
She is grateful for the opportunities that Saint Ursula Academy has provided for her to pursue her passions. “Saint Ursula Academy has opened up countless doors for me. The faculty and staff never cease to encourage us to stand up for ourselves and make an impact on the world.”
After her Student Council term expires at the end of the 2015-2016 school year, she intends to continue to voice her opinions on the NYT website. While she isn’t sure that she will pursue writing as a career, activities such as this have solidified her belief that being able to express herself in writing is an important tool for success.
St. Ursula Academy is a Catholic, college-preparatory, secondary school for young women known for academic excellence and rich tradition. St. Ursula welcomes students from more than 70 grade schools in the Greater Cincinnati area. In 2002 the Academy was recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as a Blue Ribbon School. The campus, located at 1339 E. McMillan Street in East Walnut Hills has been the home of St. Ursula Academy and Convent since 1910. The Class of 2015 earned college scholarships totaling more than $19-million.
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