09\/10\/2016<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
In the competitive world of today, young achievers and entrepreneurs are on the rise globally. Evelyn Atieno, 19, is no exception with her several achievements, including creating Affinity Magazine \u2013 a platform for teenagers to voice and form their opinions. Besides being editor in chief of the magazine, Atieno studies international relations at the University of Baltimore, writes for the Huffington Post and works as a freelance photographer. She also wrote a children\u2019s book titled \u201cWhere Did Daddy Go?\u201d, covering the effects of immigration and deportation laws on immigrant children.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs long as I remember, I\u2019ve always been writing,\u201d she confessed in an interview over Skype. \u201cI started writing poems, then short stories, and then I started writing articles,\u201d Atieno recalled. She shifted from one blog to another but none of them felt enough for her. The idea for creating Affinity Magazine sprung from a passion of hers. She \u201chad stacks of Teen Vogue and Seventeen magazines\u201d in her room but later realised she was \u201csick of adults writing for teens\u201d, and therefore decided to create the magazine to tackle the issue.<\/p>\n
Affinity started as a blog where Atieno took pictures of people at her school in February 2013. \u201cSeveral months later, I kept pondering the idea of something bigger,\u201d she admitted, turning Affinity into a physical and online monthly publication solely written by Atieno from August 2013. In 2015, however, it became a daily online magazine, and she started accepting applications from teenagers around the world.<\/p>\n
Today, Affinity Magazine has over a hundred writers. \u201cThe staff is so diverse,\u201d she stated and later added that she received submissions from various countries such as Romania, Germany and Australia. Moreover, Affinity\u2019s Twitter account is now verified and the magazine has over one million views, gaining it more credibility.<\/p>\n
When asked about the opportunities Atieno\u2019s creation presented her writers, she immediately explained that \u201cthey get to have a portfolio from a young age to help them out in their career. They gain responsibility, credibility and experience. They are also more likely to get into the colleges they want.\u201d As for the readers, Affinity \u201cpresents them with a community.\u201d Atieno communicates with her audience through Twitter to build a sense of trust and safety. She admits that they even come to her with their homework and personal problems.<\/p>\n
Furthermore, Affinity also presents itself with advantages for Atieno. She was listed in Business Insider\u2019s list of \u201c20 incredibly impressive kids graduating from high school this year\u201d for creating the magazine. Besides being the chief editor, she also writes for the magazine. This helped her become a writer for the American online news aggregator, The Huffington Post, where she also promotes the magazine. Additionally, since she plans to study law. The topics Affinity discusses, such as race and gender, fall under human rights issues, which will eventually help her broaden her horizons for her career.<\/p>\n
\u201cOh my God, of course,\u201d was her response to being asked if she faced challenges running the magazine. \u201cThere\u2019s so much backlash when you post an article and someone doesn\u2019t agree. [Many] people ask us to delete the article or say it\u2019s terrible.\u201d Atieno struggles with these replies since she cares about her writers\u2019 views, yet she still believes that \u201ceveryone has their own opinion.\u201d The challenge of time management became easier as the staff became diverse. Articles come in around the clock, making it easier to publish at any free point of her day.<\/p>\n
Finally, the future of Affinity remains strong as she said, \u201cI don\u2019t want to be twenty five and still writing for the magazine. However, I will oversee operation to make sure Affinity stays authentic for teenagers.\u201d<\/p>\n
Teenagers and young adults are creating their own future, and Evelyn Atieno is the paradigm to prove this.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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