Recent Stories

By Edith Mwangi and Zoe Ligairi May 1, 2026 Youthcast Media Group® Heather Devers was 10 when a trip to school on a rural Fauquier County road turned into a scene of shattered glass and screaming. Heather Devers at 10 years old, the year she was in a bus crash (courtesy of Devers). She was sitting with her best friend in the last seat on the left side of the bus when a car smashed into it. She looked outside to see the driver, bloodied and shouting for help. Soon she and her

By Sarah Gandluri April 16, 2025 Youthcast Media Group® When Meghan Schanie felt a lump in her breast at age 31, she was juggling a full-time job and two young toddlers. Cancer was the furthest thing from her mind. Her primary care doctors initially told her it was likely nothing - a blocked milk duct or an infection, which are common among young women who have recently been breastfeeding. Because of her age and a lack of family history, cancer was not the first assumption.

By Caleb Lenn and Michael Pewett April 16, 2026 Youthcast Media Group® Miah Henderson, a sophomore at Annandale High School in Annandale, Va., suffered a fractured back and ankle at a gymnastics meet. The cost was staggering. Miah Henderson (courtesy of Henderson). “Luckily, insurance covered it,” Henderson said. Others are not so lucky. Sophomore Annandale basketball player Samuel Greene worries about getting reinjured. “Injuries can be very expensive, and I’ve already inj

Pleas from schools, parents and frustrated residents to implement proven, low-cost infrastructure improvements have gone unanswered By Rossy Soto, Jasmin Dinh and Jeff Plungis April 16, 2026 Youthcast Media Group® In 2022, Justice High School junior Lesly Diaz-Bonilla was struck and killed as she was leaving Barcroft View Apartments, on her way to school . Just four years prior in the same Fairfax County location, a mother and daughter were injured by a hit-and-run driver .

A course in personal finance might be one of your best investments By Ayat Zia and Zoha Tahir April 16, 2026 Youthcast Media Group® Money is needed everywhere, particularly in college. It's for the snacks you will buy, the food you will eat, and the games you play. That's where personal finance comes in. It is the study and practice of how to save, budget and invest your money. The numbers tell a story: a year of tuition at a four-year public college costs an average $12,000,

By Hayden Coleman April 16, 2026 Youthcast Media Group® Accomplishing work-life balance can be a challenge at any age, and research since the COVID-19 pandemic has shown it’s only gotten harder. But forming good habits and learning to maintain boundaries doesn’t happen overnight, so starting early and preparing in high school can help in a professional career down the road. “Our brains are amazing, but they're also really lazy, so once they start to operate in a certain wa

By William Holt April 16, 2026 Youthcast Media Group® Gamblers have spent nearly $500 billion on sports betting since it became legalized in the US in 2018. The passion for sports gambling has reached younger and younger bettors. Experts warn it could lead to a new generation of problem gamblers who can face broken relationships, lost jobs and even jail time. Sports gambling is an increasingly big problem in the United States, particularly with teenagers and young adults, a

By Gabriela Mejia Tejada April 16, 2026 Youthcast Media Group® Aisha Ortiz is living her dream. Aisha Ortiz at a booth promoting her brand, The Babygirl Vintage (courtesy of Ortiz). Ortiz is a Puerto Rico-born entrepreneur who turned her lifelong love of history and fashion into a thriving business. She works for herself and on her own time, selling vintage clothing pieces at pop-up events and conferences. Before moving to the U.S., she wrote for a fashion segment in a Puer

By Ariahna Santiago and Hajar Aboueddahab April 16, 2026 Youthcast Media Group ® Celebrities often use their platforms to promote projects, partnerships, and brands. But when they speak openly about their own health struggles, that influence can take on a different role in shaping public perception and increasing awareness of serious conditions. Dr. Joshua Sharfstein is shown in October 2025 with Youthcast Media Group student Luciana Diaz, who is holding the book he co-author

Learn how to prevent false arrests and harm By Henry Dyer April 10, 2026 Youthcast Media Group In the rare but possible case that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) attempts to detain you or approaches you with the intent of making an arrest, there are specific Constitutional rights meant to ensure that you cannot be arrested without following due process. Understanding these rights can make a major difference during a scary and intimidating encounter. Knowledge of you

FCPS pilots ChatGPT for Teachers, but does AI belong in classrooms? By Jasmin Dinh April 9, 2026 Youthcast Media Group ® Your homework shortcut is about to become your teacher’s new assistant: a new county-wide partnership with OpenAI will soon change the learning environment across all of Fairfax County Public Schools. FCPS Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid announced in a county-wide email Nov. 19 that the division will be one of the first to test “ChatGPT for Teachers,” hel

New Raptor system launches, expands school safety By Zoe Ligairi April 9, 2026 Youthcast Media Group ® Imagine a fight breaks out in the cafeteria—students surround the brawl and chaos emerges before security can get to the scene. Now, that can all be prevented by a new technology that will allow staff to click a button on their badge, summoning security faster than before. The implementation of a new Emergency Management System with the help of Raptor Technologies, a third-p

By Julissa Sanders April 9, 2026 Youthcast Media Group ® In 2010, Michelle Obama launched “Let’s Move!” a public health campaign aimed at reducing childhood obesity and improving nutrition in school lunches. The program aimed to make school lunches healthier by including more fruits and vegetables and reducing fat and sugar in students’ diets. Many public schools, including Annandale High School in Fairfax County, Virginia, made significant changes to their cafeteria offering

By Zoha Tahir April 8, 2026 Youthcast Media Group ® Recent actions by the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), such as raids and detentions, have created fear and uncertainty for students and families in many communities - including Annandale High School in Annandale, Virginia. For years, Americans have been protesting ICE actions across the country, advocating for change and mobilizing support through social media and live demonstrations. Despite many An

By Natalie Spina, Piper Mangold, Felix Otero, Ambrielle Parker and Kortnie McKnight March 16, 2026 Youthcast Media Group® Every day this fall and winter, Angelina Perez has sat in her bedroom, opened her Common Application, and stared at the list of colleges under her name. As a high school senior, each spare hour has been dedicated to supplemental essays and financial aid forms. As a low-income first-generation immigrant from Argentina, she knew it wouldn’t be easy. But sh