Blog | BriteYouth

THE BRITE BLOG

We share the voices, opinions and stories of many Ventura County youth and young adults here. Not all posts reflect the opinion of BRITE or our sponsors. Managed by Ashley Heatherly.

Leadership

A poem written by a high school student about leadership.

Anonymous

Dec 27, 20221 min read

An illustration of a person with long brown hair and an orange shirt. The person has no face but the upper right corner of their head is cut away and a brown and red vapor is flowing upward out of their head. The text reads, "Hidden Danger."

Vaping Poem

A poem about vaping written by teens and young adults in a weekly writing group.

Anonymous

Dec 27, 20221 min read

A photo from above of a woman playing tennis on a court with the racket in her hand, standing defensively like she's waiting for the ball to come towards her. The white stripe of the tennis court swoops dramatically up and to the right against the background of the green court.

Never Stop Doing Right

A teen discusses her experience with failure and learning from her mistakes.

Anonymous

Dec 27, 20221 min read

A pair of hands are holding a lit candle. The candle is lighting the hands while the rest of the image is in darkness.

A Burning Question

A high school student's poem about growing up, finding inspiration, and adulthood.

Israel Lozano

Dec 27, 20222 min read

Image shows a syringe, a spoon with white powder on it, and various pills on a flat surface.

First Love

A college student tells her story about dating someone who struggled with addiction to methamphetamines and the effects it had on her life.

Anonymous

Dec 22, 20224 min read

A young person is looking at the camera in despair, holding up a picture of her friend on her phone. The text reads, "Isabel had got some drugs from a friend, who had them from another friend and he, who knows?"

Fentanyl is Forever

A discussion of the dangers of fentanyl and available resources in Ventura County.

Ashley H

Dec 22, 20222 min read

An illustration of the outline of a person covered by a rainbow of vertical colors. The person is surrounded by groups of people that are smiling and looking vacant.

Breaking Traditions

A college student discusses his experiences growing up as a gay Mexican American, and how he navigates his different identities dealing with racism at school and pressure to fit into gender stereotypes at home.

Anonymous

Dec 16, 20229 min read

We see the inside of a moving car from the driver's seat. There are blurry street lights in green, red, and yellow in front of the car. We get a sense of moving really fast and being out of control.

Why is Impaired Driving a Social Norm?

A discussion of why impaired driving is accepted as a social norm and the harms this causes.

Kyra Boring

Dec 15, 20222 min read

A black and white picture of a young person looking directly into the camera with a tear rolling down her face.

Bullying

A high school student discusses her experience with bullying in elementary school and suggestions for ways to handle difficult emotions instead of bullying.

Anonymous

Dec 8, 20223 min read

Two young people are riding in a car and smiling. The driver has one hand on the steering wheel and is holding an open bottle of beer in the other hand. The text reads, "Impaired driving is no joke."

Impaired Driving is No Joke

A college student discusses their feelings about drunk and impaired driving and ways to get home safely.

Anonymous

Dec 5, 20222 min read

Image reads, "Which one is fake? One of these pills has a deadly amount of fentanyl. Find out which. Fake pills. Real danger." in between two blue pills that look almost identical.

Fentanyl and Fake Pills

Sharing of local Ventura County resources about fentanyl, fake pills, and how to prevent overdose.

Ashley H

Nov 21, 20223 min read

You Are Not Alone

A college student discusses their experience with anxiety and panic attacks, and what they do to work on their mental health.

Anonymous

Nov 16, 20222 min read

A watercolor image in brilliant colors of a young woman looking down with her eyes closed.

Isolation

A poem written by a young adult about her experience with isolation.

Anonymous

Nov 15, 20221 min read

Sunflower

A poem about a young adult's growth.

Anonymous

Nov 15, 20221 min read

Color

A poem about a young adult's choice to stand out.

Anonymous

Nov 15, 20221 min read

A young woman of color is looking in the mirror and smiling while touching her face. She is radiating beauty and calm.

From Disconnected to Finding Inner Beauty

A young adult discusses her experience with self-acceptance and self-love.

Anonymous

Nov 15, 20222 min read

The silhouette of a person is sitting on a long dock that stretches out over a clear lake. The lake is surrounded by big beautiful green and brown mountains. It feels peaceful.

Mountains

A young person discusses their journey with body image, self-esteem, and self-acceptance.

Anonymous

Nov 15, 20222 min read

A gray highway runs into the horizon, framed by green hills and trees. It gives you a sense of momentum and moving forward.

On My Side of the Road

A short story about a young adult learning the importance of not focusing on other people and what they think.

Anonymous

Nov 15, 20222 min read

A young man is behind bars in a jail or prison cell. He looks young, and has his hand up against his mouth as if he's deep in thought.

The School-To-Prison Pipeline

A high school student discusses the history of the school to prison pipeline, the public education system, and why it so greatly affects low income students of color.

Jazmin Lopez

Nov 10, 20223 min read