Emily Leong: “Short people are cool, too!”

 

Julia Buczynski-Kos: “I am my worst critic, and this is what pushes me further to achieve my goals in life.”

 

Anna Zhuk: “If God came to me with the power of immortality in one hand and a lifetime supply of cashmere sweaters in the other, everyone would be invited to my sweater swimming pool party the next day.”

 

Jessica Johnson: “Smile. That’s the first step to tackling everything.”

 

Susan Gerlovina: “Live life to the fullest. Treasure each moment because crying isn’t as funny as laughing.”

 

Olivia Beals-Reid: “Having spent my whole life in suburbia, I’m so happy to finally be in my favorite place in the world: New York City. I’m constantly inspired by the amazing food, art, and music here and I hope to make a difference in the lives and diets of New Yorkers.”

 

Clara Wilson: “My name’s Clara and I’d eat Greek yogurt for breakfast, lunch, and dinner if I could. I enjoy traveling to far away places and singing in the shower for at least 15 minutes everyday.”

 

Selena Vargas: “Everything happens for a reason. There are no coincidences.”

 

Jessica Pinto: “This may sound crazy, but I take advice from flowers. Perennials bloom every year, despite harsh winters and unforgiving cold. I try to live my life like that–where I pick myself up every time I fall.”

 

Neha Gupta: “My name is Neha and I go to the beach during winter, I’ve gone cliff diving, and I’m training myself to like sushi.”

 

Viki Hazkour: “Spunky as ever, you’ll always see me smiling. Steadfast as ever, I won’t stop fighting for what I think is right.”

 

Katherine Chiu: “I have always loved drawing. My favorite things to draw are figures. When I am not drawing, I also like to play the piano. The most recent song I have played is a Kabalevsky piece.”

 

Julia Paré: “I’m Korean-French-Irish, I play the violin, and love doodling, reading, and crocheting amigurumi. I was home-schooled before high school (but I didn’t wear pajamas to school, or wake up late every day).”