Express Yourself!

Mental health is a part of being human. We are not only our eyes, ears, voice, and body parts, but we are also our emotions. These emotions affect how we feel, react, and portray ourselves to the world. Kirpa hosts a program with reporters Milan and Jatin, with an open discussion defining mental health and how we define it to ourselves and to others. Educate yourself, create safe places, and choose kindness and empathy. No one should struggle alone.

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"Cancer is just a chapter in our lives and not the whole story."— Allie Moreno

Host Keerthi begins the show with a bold and true statement: "Teenagers are some of the most powerful people on the planet." She believes that teens need to be involved in cancer advocacy. Cancer isn't just a medical issue. It's a human issue.

It's about funding research. It's about supporting families. It's about making sure treatments are accessible. It's about early detection. It's about mental health. It's about hope.

When you fight for something bigger than yourself, you grow. Cancer patients often say the thing that helps most isn't just medicine — it's community. It's feeling seen. It's knowing someone cares.

You can be that someone. Keerthi shares a powerful recipe for cancer advocacy!

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"Comparison is the thief of joy." – Theodore Roosevelt

Are you confident in your abilities? Do you compare yourselves to others? Host Julia dives into the importance of confidence and reframes how to think about comparison. She interviews reporter Jatin, who shares how comparison negatively affects confidence. He talks about the effects of social media and AI. Reporter Milan then speaks with Julia about how our personal growth can be impacted when we compare ourselves with others. He suggests that being confident in one's abilities without comparison is usually the best recourse. As accomplished as Julia is, she reports that Comparison has always been her toxic hobby. There will always be someone, somewhere who is better, taller, wiser, smarter, faster, etc. She reminds us to ask the real question. What story do we tell ourselves after the comparison? Because comparison is information. She reframes comparison to admiration and asks herself, "Who do I want to become?" Be proud of who you are because there is only one you!

"What lies behind you and what lies in front of you, pales in comparison to what lies inside of you." Emerson

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· "Continue to be who and how you are, to astonish a mean world with your acts of kindness." – Maya Angelou

What is kindness? How can we lead with kindness? Host Sharanya along with reporters Milan and Jatin offer their insights into how kindness improves happiness, positive emotions, and social connections while reducing anxiety. Being kind to others manifests kindness for ourselves. Sharanya finishes the episode with notes on her passion of making data science equitable through her creation of PlotLyft, working with younger and underprivileged students. She learned that leadership grounded in kindness can change how people see themselves. Wanting to help others means listening, being patient, and creating spaces where growth feels possible. Be inclusive and be kind.

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it Means to be an American

• "My fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country." – John F. Kennedy

Host Sharanya discusses how being a naturalized citizen has affected her and her family. Being an American to her means being honest about governmental failures instead of pretending they don't exist. It means refusing to confuse patriotism with blind loyalty. You can love a country and still demand that it do better. Sharanya has learned that Americanness doesn't stop at borders. The values she associates with being American — collaboration, innovation, problem-solving, and civic responsibility — are not exclusive to one country. Her nonprofit, Plotlyft, is grounded in a simple idea: knowledge is one of the most powerful tools for mobility, and access to it should not be determined by geography or privilege. America is a collective project. Let's continue to build it.

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"I think every human has a finite number of heartbeats. I don't intend to waste any of mine." - Neil Armstrong

Some people use their heartbeats to make noise. Others use them to make meaning. In today's broadcast, host Julia interviews someone who does exactly that through music.

Rachel Schaub is an emerging 17-year-old pop songwriter and artist from the Detroit area whose music is playful, expressive, and deeply personal. Her songs move easily from bright, bouncy pop anthems to more reflective, emotional moments, all rooted in real experiences, friendships, and dreams.

Rachel was born with KBG Syndrome, a rare genetic condition, and she also lives with autism, anxiety, and Pathological Demand Avoidance. While KBG can involve significant physical challenges for some people, including seizures, Rachel has been fortunate not to experience those complications. Her journey has instead involved navigating learning differences, attention and processing challenges, and anxiety, all of which influence how she creates and communicates.

Julia talks to Rachel about her process, challenges, and successes.

BIO Rachel Schaub

Rachel Schaub is an emerging 17-year-old teen pop songwriter and artist living in the Detroit, Michigan area. Pop music has always been her favorite genre. She was inspired most by Triple Charm, a pop singing group composed of three sisters who perform, dance, and write their own songs. Other favorite musicians include Meghan Trainor and Taylor Swift.

Born with KBG Syndrome, a rare genetic disorder, she was diagnosed with autism, anxiety, and Pathological Demand Avoidance in 2018 and KBG Syndrome as the underlying genetic condition in 2021. Despite these challenges, she has overcome so much and has found her true passion ... songwriting.

Rachel began writing pop songs in March 2025 and now has 14 songs and 3 EPs to her name. She uses AI to create the melodies for the lyrics she writes and is hoping to write her own melodies soon without AI. Her goal is to create an album and perform shows in the Detroit area featuring her songs. She is happiest when singing and dancing to her own pop songs. https://rachelschaub.com YouTube:

www.youtube.com/@rachelschaub1

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"I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious." Albert Einstein

Brothers, Jatin and Milan, reporters on Express Yourself!™ Teen Radio, talk about how being curious leads to success in all things. Jatin discusses how curiosity helped some people become famous for their inventions. Milan reads a poem and encourages teens to explore and be curious. Producer, Cynthia Brian, hosts the program and reads the chapter from her book, Be the Star You Are! for Teens called The Gift of Curiosity, penned by Sally Franz. Buy copies of the book https://www.BetheStarYouAre.org. Click on the STORE.

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"Our greatest ability as humans is not to change the world, but to change ourselves."~ Mahatma Gandhi

It's a brand-new year, and Express Yourself!™ teen reporters, Milan and Jatin, share their suggestions for creating goals and resolutions. Producer, Cynthia Brian, hosts providing a few insights into planning for success. "If you fail to plan, you plan to fail!"

Happy 2026…Sparkle and Shine!

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"Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful." – Norman Vincent Peale.

In this holiday episode, Host Julia explores what the season really feels like for teenagers: balancing stress, shifting family dynamics, and the pressure to enjoy a "magical" time of year, while learning how to make the holidays meaningful on our own terms. Julia reflects on practical, honest ways teens can enjoy the season without clichés, perfection, or forced cheer. The show also features a special caroling segment from the LWHS Waves, LWHS Vocal Ensemble, and the San Francisco Girls' Chorus.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from Express Yourself!™ and Be the Star You Are!®

"Peace on Earth, goodwill to men!" — Lewis Carroll

Bio: Julia Howe is a youth entrepreneur, TEDx speaker, and co-host of Express Yourself Teen Radio from San Francisco, California. She is committed to introducing Chinese Opera to younger audiences, empowering teen girls in sports, and advocating for innovative education. Julia founded Jing Shao Nian, a youth Chinese Opera company, and Hitting The Wall, a non-profit dedicated to empowering teen female athletes. As the program director of Heart In Motion, she orchestrates the efforts of thousands of student volunteers at athletic events. Julia can be found singing with the San Francisco Girls Chorus Premier Ensemble or training for her next triathlon. And she has been accepted to Yale for next fall. https://www.jingshaonian.org/

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"If God did not exist, it would be necessary to invent Him." Voltaire

Does asking whether God exists help teens think about bigger questions like what gives life meaning? What makes something right or wrong? Who or what do I look to when I'm trying to understand my purpose, my identity, my relationships, or the challenges? Host Hanna talks about the fact that even teens who don't believe in a higher power often care deeply about justice, fairness, compassion, dignity, and the desire to be part of something meaningful. Many of those values were born of religious traditions long before they were written into constitutions or taught in classrooms. Hanna interviews third-year Ph.D student in the Department of Philosophy, Joe Schmid, who provides an argument for and against God's existence. The cosmological argument for God's existence posits that everything in the universe has a cause. Arguments against God's existence center on the Problem of Evil, how an all-good, all-powerful God allows suffering. He then discusses Pascal's Wager. Blaise Pascal, the 17th-century philosopher and mathematician, argued that we should believe in God and act as if God exists because it is the best bet.

The existence-of-God question is more than a question of belief. It's a doorway into understanding culture, history, psychology, community, creativity, and the human need for meaning.

Dive deeper into the existence of God and decide for yourself!

Bio: Joe Schmid

Joe is a third year Ph.D. student in the Department of Philosophy with research interests in metaphysics, philosophy of religion, and philosophy of mind. He earned a B.A. in philosophy from Purdue University in 2022 (Boiler Up!). Joe has published papers in Mind, Noûs, and The Journal of Philosophy, co-authored the SEP entry on Ontological Arguments, and co-authored a book published by Springer. He also runs the philosophy YouTube channel Majesty of Reason. When he's not doing philosophy, you'll find him either playing soccer or cuddling with his overwhelmingly cute dog (or both).

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