Radio Rookies from WNYC

Rainy wanted to understand why she stayed with an older boyfriend who humiliated and physically abused her. So she spent two years reporting from inside the relationship.   

Many teenagers live half their lives on social media sites, and they're writing the rules as they go. One online trend Radio Rookie Temitayo Fagbenle finds disturbing is "slut-shaming" 

Jairo Gomez's nine-person family lives in a one-bedroom apartment. He knows education is the way out of poverty, but sometimes being poor makes it difficult to make good choices.

Aired December, 2012. Danielle was 13 when she left her home and her mother in the Congo.  She came to New York to pursue the American dream, but she wound up living in a homeless shelter. 

Aired November, 2010. 17-year-old Radio Rookie Edwin Llanos has grown up in neighborhoods where police stop kids all the time -- and a lot of those kids don’t trust cops to help when they're in need. Last year, when Edwin got into a tough situation, he wasn't sure who to turn to.

Aired October, 2010. Radio Rookie Helen Peng lives in Flushing, Queens and calls herself an ABC, or American-born Chinese. But a lot of FOBs, or Fresh-off-the-boat Chinese people, also live in her neighborhood. Helen identifies with both the ABC and the FOB cultures and struggles with how to identify herself.

Aired October, 2010. Radio Rookie Andrea Lee's parents came here from the Philippines in the 1990s. She is not sure she agrees with at least one decision her parents made - not teaching her their language.

Aired September, 2010. Although 40% of all game players are female, players of hardcore games like Grand Theft Auto are mostly male. That means the games are designed with boys and men in mind. Rookie Reporter Jessica Cernadas finds that very frustrating.

Aired September, 2010. Rookie Reporter Melissa Best has always dreamed of becoming a US diplomat — living abroad and helping people; but then she found out how much work it is to become one. Melissa wonders if she can really live up to her high–achiever persona.

Aired June, 2010. Radio Rookie Hawa Lee reports on the sometimes spooky connection between vampires and teenagers.