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Spotlight

Home Spotlight 2009

September, 2009

Melissa Archer
Have you ever felt pressure from the media and society to look a certain way? Do you have this ideal body image in your head that you feel you have to live up to? The fact is that a lot of girls have felt like this at one time or another. To help counteract the expectations of “ideal body image,” Melissa Archer, who stars as Natalie Buchanan Banks on “One Life to Live,” began working with the National Eating Disorders Association to help women and girls feel better about themselves. Read her interview to learn about the body image issues that come with working in the entertainment industry and how she’s spreading awareness about eating disorders.

July, 2009

Sarasi Jayaratne
Inspired by a tragedy, Sarasi saw an opportunity to help kids less fortunate than herself by providing them with books. She started the Keep Reading Foundation and now sends thousands of books each year to Sri Lanka, a country destroyed by a tsunami (SOO-nah-mee). Check out her interview to see how she started and where she’s headed.

May, 2009

Tara Suri
Inspired by the poverty and sexism she saw in India, at age thirteen, Tara Suri started H.O.P.E., or Helping Orphans Pursue Education. She started out small — holding bake sales, making bracelets, and even recycling used soda cans — but her idea was big.

Now seventeen years old, she’s turned that organization into something bigger: Turn Your World Around. Together with others, she’s raised over $50,000 to make the world a better place and engage hundreds in activism.

March, 2009

Mia Toledo
What Makes You Beautiful?
Mia Toledo’s love of dancing and acting keep her busy.  Her “fearless” attitude helps give her the confidence she needs. When she was recognized by New Moon magazine as one of their 25 Most Beautiful Girls, she caught our eye too! Find out what advice she gives girls just like you.

January, 2009

Hives for Lives
Helping Bee-T Cancer
Wanting to do something after their grandfather died of cancer, Molly and Carly thought their knowledge of beekeeping would help them raise money for a great cause. They put their heads together and came up with Hives for Lives and have raised over $150,000 towards a cure for cancer! Get inspired to turn your interests into passions with their story.

Content last updated April 1, 2009

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