"You can only understand people if you feel them in yourself." — John Steinbeck

According to the Stanford Medical Health Center, by including teens as full participants in self-care, they're more likely to choose healthy behaviors during their lives. Hannah Sahota hosts this important program focusing on empathy and self-care with reporters Diya and Jatin. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), self-care is described as "The ability of individuals, families and communities to promote health, prevent disease, maintain health, and cope with illness and disability with or without the support of a health-care provider." Self-care is not fulfilled by buying things for pleasure, but rather by utilizing tools that genuinely improve one's mental, physical, and spiritual health to avoid further consequences. The textbook definition of empathy (pulled from the Merriam-Webster version) is, "the action of understanding, being aware of, being sensitive to, and vicariously experiencing the feelings, thoughts, and experience of another". Learn more about self-care and empathy from our Express Yourself!® teens. Tune in!

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Mental health is a part of being human. We are not only our eyes, ears, voice, and body parts, but we are also our emotions. These emotions affect how we feel, react, and portray ourselves to the world. Kirpa hosts a program with reporters Milan and Jatin, with an open discussion defining mental health and how we define it to ourselves and to others. Educate yourself, create safe places, and choose kindness and empathy. No one should struggle alone.

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"Cancer is just a chapter in our lives and not the whole story."— Allie Moreno

Host Keerthi begins the show with a bold and true statement: "Teenagers are some of the most powerful people on the planet." She believes that teens need to be involved in cancer advocacy. Cancer isn't just a medical issue. It's a human issue.

It's about funding research.
It's about supporting families.
It's about making sure treatments are accessible.
It's about early detection.
It's about mental health.
It's about hope.

When you fight for something bigger than yourself, you grow. Cancer patients often say the thing that helps most isn't just medicine — it's community. It's feeling seen. It's knowing someone cares.

You can be that someone. Keerthi shares a powerful recipe for cancer advocacy!

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"Comparison is the thief of joy." – Theodore Roosevelt

Are you confident in your abilities? Do you compare yourselves to others? Host Julia dives into the importance of confidence and reframes how to think about comparison. She interviews reporter Jatin, who shares how comparison negatively affects confidence. He talks about the effects of social media and AI. Reporter Milan then speaks with Julia about how our personal growth can be impacted when we compare ourselves with others. He suggests that being confident in one's abilities without comparison is usually the best recourse. As accomplished as Julia is, she reports that Comparison has always been her toxic hobby. There will always be someone, somewhere who is better, taller, wiser, smarter, faster, etc. She reminds us to ask the real question. What story do we tell ourselves after the comparison? Because comparison is information. She reframes comparison to admiration and asks herself, "Who do I want to become?" Be proud of who you are because there is only one you!

"What lies behind you and what lies in front of you, pales in comparison to what lies inside of you." Emerson

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· "Continue to be who and how you are, to astonish a mean world with your acts of kindness." – Maya Angelou

What is kindness? How can we lead with kindness? Host Sharanya along with reporters Milan and Jatin offer their insights into how kindness improves happiness, positive emotions, and social connections while reducing anxiety. Being kind to others manifests kindness for ourselves. Sharanya finishes the episode with notes on her passion of making data science equitable through her creation of PlotLyft, working with younger and underprivileged students. She learned that leadership grounded in kindness can change how people see themselves. Wanting to help others means listening, being patient, and creating spaces where growth feels possible. Be inclusive and be kind.

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it Means to be an American

• "My fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country." – John F. Kennedy

Host Sharanya discusses how being a naturalized citizen has affected her and her family. Being an American to her means being honest about governmental failures instead of pretending they don't exist. It means refusing to confuse patriotism with blind loyalty. You can love a country and still demand that it do better. Sharanya has learned that Americanness doesn't stop at borders. The values she associates with being American — collaboration, innovation, problem-solving, and civic responsibility — are not exclusive to one country. Her nonprofit, Plotlyft, is grounded in a simple idea: knowledge is one of the most powerful tools for mobility, and access to it should not be determined by geography or privilege. America is a collective project. Let's continue to build it.

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"I think every human has a finite number of heartbeats. I don't intend to waste any of mine." - Neil Armstrong

Some people use their heartbeats to make noise. Others use them to make meaning. In today's broadcast, host Julia interviews someone who does exactly that through music.

Rachel Schaub is an emerging 17-year-old pop songwriter and artist from the Detroit area whose music is playful, expressive, and deeply personal. Her songs move easily from bright, bouncy pop anthems to more reflective, emotional moments, all rooted in real experiences, friendships, and dreams.

Rachel was born with KBG Syndrome, a rare genetic condition, and she also lives with autism, anxiety, and Pathological Demand Avoidance. While KBG can involve significant physical challenges for some people, including seizures, Rachel has been fortunate not to experience those complications. Her journey has instead involved navigating learning differences, attention and processing challenges, and anxiety, all of which influence how she creates and communicates.

Julia talks to Rachel about her process, challenges, and successes.

BIO Rachel Schaub

Rachel Schaub is an emerging 17-year-old teen pop songwriter and artist living in the Detroit, Michigan area. Pop music has always been her favorite genre. She was inspired most by Triple Charm, a pop singing group composed of three sisters who perform, dance, and write their own songs. Other favorite musicians include Meghan Trainor and Taylor Swift.

Born with KBG Syndrome, a rare genetic disorder, she was diagnosed with autism, anxiety, and Pathological Demand Avoidance in 2018 and KBG Syndrome as the underlying genetic condition in 2021. Despite these challenges, she has overcome so much and has found her true passion ... songwriting.

Rachel began writing pop songs in March 2025 and now has 14 songs and 3 EPs to her name. She uses AI to create the melodies for the lyrics she writes and is hoping to write her own melodies soon without AI. Her goal is to create an album and perform shows in the Detroit area featuring her songs. She is happiest when singing and dancing to her own pop songs. https://rachelschaub.com YouTube:

www.youtube.com/@rachelschaub1

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"I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious." Albert Einstein

Brothers, Jatin and Milan, reporters on Express Yourself!™ Teen Radio, talk about how being curious leads to success in all things. Jatin discusses how curiosity helped some people become famous for their inventions. Milan reads a poem and encourages teens to explore and be curious. Producer, Cynthia Brian, hosts the program and reads the chapter from her book, Be the Star You Are! for Teens called The Gift of Curiosity, penned by Sally Franz. Buy copies of the book https://www.BetheStarYouAre.org. Click on the STORE.

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