Teens In The News: Michael, Glenn, and Graham

Seen any teens in the news? Let us know! If we post about it, we'll give you credit for the tip. Email us at rebelution [dot] blogspot [at] gmail [dot] com.

Michael Viscardi - Science Champion: 16-year-old Michael Viscardi, a homeschool student from San Diego, California, has been making headlines for his victory in the prestigious Siemens Westinghouse Competition in Math, Science and Technology, winning a $100,000 scholarship.

The Associated Press reports: [HT: Hannah and The Insomniac.]

Viscardi tackled a 19th century math problem known as the Dirichlet problem, formulated by the mathematician Lejeune Dirichlet. The theorem Viscardi created to solve it has potential applications in the fields of engineering and physics, including airplane wing design.

Glenn Wolsey - Online Entrepeneur: At 13 years old, New Zealander Glenn Wosley is the founder, owner, and contributor to Macs N Pods, an website devoted to news, reviews, articles, discussion, and how to's for Apple products. Started only four months ago, the site already has 1.2 million hits, and international advertisers are paying to take space on Wosley's site.

Homeschooled since he was nine, Wosley is also the reigning champion of the New Zealand Schools Web Design Challenge, beating out over 2,500 entrants last month with a site he designed about the sport cricket.

Wosley's story is a good example of the importance of both personal intiative and networking. The Manawatu Standard reports:

Wolsey is self taught in web design, but has had help from US online innovator Tim Robertson, whose own site gets 20 million hits a month. "I found Tim through Google, told him how much I liked his site and what I was doing, and he has become a mentor to me," Wolsey said.

Graham Bensinger — Sports Broadcaster: At 18 years old, Graham Bensinger is already making his mark as one of the hottest sports broadcasters in the nation. Host of "The Graham Bensinger Show," a weekly sports show carried each Saturday on ESPN Radio 1380 AM in St. Louis, Missouri, Graham started his preparation during his early teen years.

A sports fan for as long as he can remember, Bensinger launched an Internet radio show in January 2001, at the age of thirteen. To get his first interviews, Graham sent out fifty letters to former professional athletes, many of whom were baseball Hall of Famers. Out of the fifty, four responded, and Graham got his first interviews. From there, he began contacting the agents and publicists of potential interviewees, and slowly but surely worked his way up.

In August 2003, his show began airing on Sporting News Radio, and a year later he signed a contract with ESPN Radio. While seemingly a rookie by industry standards, because Graham prepared throughout his teen years, his experience is that of a seasoned veteran. His list of interviews include icons like John Madden and Bob Costas; legends like Muhammad Ali, Jim Brown, and Dan Marino; talents like Terrell Owens and Serena Williams; as well as two interviews with OJ Simpson.

In a November feature article on CNN.com, we are told: [HT: The Homeschool Revolution]

Bensinger says his age can be both a help and a hindrance when going after interviews, noting that when he started, some athletes did not want to have anything to do with him...

"I think as I've continued to get interviews," he says, "people see that I'm working hard, that I'm doing my homework, [and] the age doesn't have as much of an effect..."

While other teens may spend their free time hanging out with friends, Bensinger devotes hours to research, arranging and confirming guests, preparing questions and reading the latest sports headlines...

"Sure, you sacrifice some valuable time with friends," he says. "But on the same note, I love what I'm doing, and I know where I want to be in life and know where I want to get in life..."

"I think the difference between those who are successful in life and those who aren't is whether or not you have the drive and motivation and follow [your dream]," Bensinger says.

"Sure, people are going to say 'No,' and say, 'You can't do this' and 'You can't do that.' ... But if you work hard, in the end you will succeed."

Notice how these excerpts confirm and enhance principles we've spoken about on The Rebelution:

• Many people in our society do not expect young people to be capable of quality work.
• The way to success and accomplishment is hard work (i.e. "doing hard things").
• Young people who are willing to do hard things prove that preparation — not age — is the deciding factor in a person's ability to perform a responsibility.
• When you have a calling and a vision, you have to sacrifice. But it's worth it.

You'll notice that none of the above teens appear to be Christians — at least, not so far as I can tell from the articles I've read. However, like Michael Sessions, these young men turn our society's expectations of teenagers upside down. They demonstrate how capable young people can be if they apply themselves. They prove the power of a young person dedicated to a dream.

Friends, as Christians we have a calling that is higher than any earthly dream. People like Graham, Michael, and Glenn prove our potential, but the question is whether we are willing to take the principle and apply it to our own lives and to matters of eternal significance. Are we? Because that's what it means to be a rebelutionary.

"The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting; it has been found hard and left untried." — G.K. Chesterton

Do Hard Things™