The State of Teens: Voices

What is your greatest worry today?

"Graduation. I'm like just a half 1/2 step away. (The counselor) won't work with me. I know I'm going to be able to graduate, it's just will I be able to walk with my class?." — Nesheda Cauld, 18

---

"College is a big worry for me. Everything about it, — just to have harder classes and harder professors and to move away from home." — Mandi Williams, 17

---

"Showing up to meet Judge Valdez. Just getting off probation or whatever he says. I'm trying to keep it together until then, and then after, too." — Daniel Miller, 18

---

"Graduation and going to college. My mom has all these money problems, so I'm trying to figure all that out. So I'm worried about those two things." — Michelle Rendon, 18

---

"Sometimes it's hard to be an athlete because you want to be the best, and you're trying so hard that you put a lot of pressure on yourself." — Dustin Pimm, 17

---

"Starting over in the real adult world after we graduate, and having to survive by ourselves." — John Lopez, 18

---

"My friends. They are making some really bad decisions right now, and I'm always worried about them. I'm trying to figure out what to do." — Kristen Cummings, 17

---

"The war in Iraq, because they are killing a lot of innocent children over there. We think we have it hard, but we have no idea how bad it can be. We aren't over there." — Soledad Ruiz, 18

---

"My mom's money problems because she has bad kidneys and she has to pay for medicine. When I get in trouble, it only makes it worse for her." — Julius Brown, 17

---

"I'm involved in everything, and it gets really stressful sometimes. Most of the time it's something I really like, but sometimes I just need to take a break and give myself a rest." — Jenni Matthews, 17