In this episode of the Middle School Walk & Talk podcast, AMLE CEO Stephanie Simpson guest hosts a vibrant conversation with five finalists from the 2025 Middle School Student Sound Off Contest, exploring what it’s like to be a middle schooler today. These young people offer authentic insights into the challenges and joys of navigating adolescence in 2025. Tune in to hear their perspectives on social dynamics, academic pressures, and personal growth, and view all their submissions at amle.org/soundoff.

Special thank you to our student guests Tessa Galen, Luisa Diaz-Hill, Annie Johnson, Olivia Childs, and Sanya Singh.

Middle School Walk & Talk is a production of the Association for Middle Level Education. Learn more at amle.org.