A letter from the editor: Coming of age every week

MANILA, Philippines - l have a confession to make. Despite being a millennial, I have more in common with my parents and bosses than I do with kids my age. Introduce me to someone above 35 and we’d probably have plenty to talk about.

Consider, then, my first few weeks with Young Star and how similar it was to what Tom Hanks and Wilson the volleyball experienced in Cast Away. I was a bit lost, and I struggled to find my way and what it meant to be young. I made mistakes, lots of mistakes, and had to do things I never thought I’d have to. It was my re-initiation to all things millennial.

I soon discovered that my generation was more than just its hashtags and selfies. While there was still that angst that every generation goes through, this current crop raises their hands not to break things down but to build things up. Yes, we have it good so we fight to make it better. We are a generation that hasn’t had its own cultural crisis, sure, but that’s no excuse to not want to improve the world we live in. In all my time covering stories for YS, I’ve met kids who’ve used the talents and privileges they have and managed to accomplish so much more. After 10,000 hours in all things young, I’d argue that this generation really has the chance to be better than those who’ve come before.

All around the world, big discussions are taking place, hard issues are moving forward, and there’s no reason why the youth shouldn’t be a part of it. This is what we hope to do in these very pages. As we continue to shine a light on the very best the youth has to offer, we will also never stop learning and relearning. If life is a collection of tales and experiences, consider Young Star your weekly coming-of-age story.

Welcome to the all-new Young Star. We have a new look (all thanks to the immensely creative Carina Santos), new columns (from wunderkind Gaby Gloria and the multi-talented Jasmine Curtis-Smith), and most of all, a new perspective.