Amy Kimel, a senior at Pascack Hills, recently participated as a forum member in an interview for an article Bergen Magazine published in their August 2022 issue. It provides insight into issues teenagers face from their perspective. 

Kimel told the Trailblazer that “The pandemic has put us all at a disadvantage by forcing us to adapt to an unconventional learning style which we are still trying to bounce back from. Along with all of the issues Covid-19 caused are the obstacles we face in high school unrelated to the pandemic, [such as] the college application process and the stress that comes with it.”

This article provided Kimel and other seniors the opportunity to voice their feelings and opinions on these issues. 

Bergen Magazine posted a similar article in 2020 and Kimel recalls reading it and finding it very relatable. 

She said, “It was a piece I could read and find myself agreeing with the panelists’ opinions on the discussed points that are usually spoken about by adults. Hearing students have a say and voice their own opinions mattered to me. I looked up to the seniors in the 2020 issue because they were all role models who spoke on behalf of their schools and I have looked up to them since.”

Because of the effect these students had on her, Kimel jumped at the chance to be that role model for someone else this time around.

On the day of the chat, Kimel joined a Zoom call with ten other high school students from different schools in Bergen County, along with a moderator and the editors. The students then answered questions and had conversations about the issues at hand. Kimel reports that the experience, while daunting at first, turned out to be enjoyable.

“It was really great to be able to speak on topics that mattered to me,” she said, “The stress teenagers have to face and deal with is a topic I feel very passionate about and having the chance to voice my opinion on it meant the world to me.”

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