The following post is written by Christina LaPlaca, a high school student and part of the Honors Mentorship Program at Forsyth Central. This will be her last article for this school year. It has been such a privilege having her on the Cumming Local team this past year! Thank you Christina for all your hard work!
This year, through the help of the Honors Mentorship Program at Forsyth Central High School, I have had the magnificent privilege to be one of the writers for Cumming Local. And quite truthfully, this whole experience has been a dream come true. Since I was a little girl, I have been obsessed with words, an interest that, I assure, has not lessened as the years have passed. (Seriously, if we were to have a conversation, you’d soon wish you hadn’t doubted my warning in the first place.) Once I got to middle school, however, I began to see my love for the spoken language transform into a tangible and creative outlet. I soon found out that writing was a distinct and intense passion of mine. While I seemed to only want to write novels and other forms of creative writing, it became apparent that there were many other ways in which I could express myself while also putting the pen to paper.
This internship, for instance, has consistently taught me new ways in which I can showcase my abilities while also learning as much as I can about the craft. While I have been more accustomed to writing stories or recounting a personal experience, this process has forced me to step more outside of my comfort zone. Earlier in the year, I was able to write an article that focus on the crime of my generation: feeling left out. Because this hit so close to home, I was able to write this with a certain amount of ease. That was the type of writing in which I felt like I shined the brightest, after all. Throughout my internship, though, I began to realize that not everything would be able to come as easily. I found myself having to write multiple articles that simply relayed information, rather than having to write anything particularly opinionated. At the beginning, this kind of put me in between a rock and a hard place; I just wasn’t used to doing anything like it. But because of this, and any challenges that it may have encompassed, I am now sure of my abilities in all realms of writing.
This process has pushed me in directions I didn’t know I could even go, allowing me to grow in more ways than I could have ever imagined. I am eternally grateful to Rachael and her never ending grace, patience, love and guidance. Because of her and the website, I have been able to not only learn as much as possible about this career and all it entails, but I have also discovered a new part of myself, one who wants to continue to strive for greatness, while also being able to meet all of the expectations placed before me. She has been the best mentor I could have asked for, and I will miss every second of being able to study under her.
The following links will take you to all the posts that Christina wrote this year:

Introducing Christina LaPlaca

Top Nine Things to Do with your Teenager This Fall in North Georgia

Favorite Places to Eat in Cumming GA {Teenager Edition}

An Interview with Mr. Mitch Young

Forsyth Central Stage Presents Pippin

Dunkin Donuts or Donut Connection?

Gift Ideas for Teenagers

Movie Review: Rogue One – A Star Wars Story

A Peek Inside Cumming’s Bookstore – Humpus Bumpus

New Year Resolutions {Teenager Version}

The Feeling of Being Left Out

All Things Prom in Forsyth County & Cumming GA

7 Hidden Gems in Forsyth County

The Wonders of Writing

Summer Job in Forsyth County for Teenagers

Christina LaPlaca is part of the Honors Mentorship Program at Forsyth Central High School. She recently shared some facts about herself. You can read that article here.
To learn more about Christina and our other contributing writers, click here.