For the most part, teens that I showcase in Teens on the Scene are persons I have never met. This post is different. The teen that is being showcased in this post is special because she’s a friend of mine. Her name is Carissa
Soul Ridge Photo + Design
Carissa is:
- A home-schooled student (junior year)
- An employee of the Tulsa City-County Library system
- A member of the church youth group where I serve as a sponsor
- A lover of books (she read and enjoyed my novel, Brought To You By The Color Drab which is now in the TCCL system)
- A lover of libraries (obviously)
- And my friend…
I asked her to meet with me to chat about her life and how she came to be a TCCL employee, in addition to sharing her feedback on my teen action novel, Brought To You By The Color Drab. She agreed.
Soul Ridge Photo + Design
As with many homeschoolers, Carissa had always been a frequent visitor to her local library. Through the years, she grew familiar with nearly every nook and cranny, to the point where she was assisting the younger patrons to find what they were looking for. The library staff noticed and encouraged her to become a member of the Teen Team.
TCCL offers what is known as the Teen Team summer volunteer program. Because Carissa’s desire was to meet people and become more a part of her community, she applied. The requirements are as follows:
If you are…
patient
dependable
If you have…
a sense of humor
a strong attention to detail
a genuine desire to help the community through volunteer service
If you . . .
love libraries, reading, books, learning
enjoy meeting a wide variety of new people
communicate effectively with people of all ages and cultural backgrounds
Carissa qualified on all points. She served her first summer as a TCCL Teen Team volunteer at tender age of 12!
She quickly learned that being part of the volunteer group wasn’t all sunshine and roses – she faced numerous challenges. This was especially true when it came to dealing with a wide array of personalities. It was a stretching time for Carissa, and according to the last requirement on the list, she did indeed learn to communicate effectively with people of all ages and cultural backgrounds.
From Volunteer to Employee
As soon as Carissa turned 16 (having volunteered for 4 years!), she was brought on board as a paid employee of the TCCL system, and it’s in this capacity that she serves at this time.
This young library employee is an avid reader, averaging about two books a week. Just being in this environment allows Carissa exposure to all the variety that a library as to offer. She’s aware of the newest books that arrive, as well as the old standbys.
Her awareness of what is in demand has motivated her to design and set up a variety of displays, which are popular and effective. It’s a touch of marketing talent she might not have ever discovered had she not been in this setting, and had she not been offered this opportunity to create.
With regard to her education, Carissa has never attended public school having been homeschooled from the outset. She loves this part of her life and admitted she wouldn’t want to change it.
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Soul Ridge Photo + Design
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Soul Ridge Photo + Design
When this interview turned to my most recent novel, Brought To You By The Color Drab (which she had read), I was delighted to hear her literally quoting lines back to me from the book. This is a rare treat for an author. What fun to get to chat with someone who knew all my characters and all the plot twists. We talked about them as though they were real people. (Which of course to me they are!) I will add that Carissa loved Brought To You By The Color Drab.
My 3 Passions!
For those of you who follow my Clean Teen Reads blog, and especially those of you to love the Teens on the Scene series, you know how passionate I am about 1) teenagers 2) books and 3) libraries.
How fun to wrap all 3 in one package!
Many thanks to Carissa for agreeing to read the novel, to chatting with me, and to the photo session.
You are appreciated, Carissa!! May your life always be filled with good books in whatever field of endeavor that God leads you!
Brought To You By The Color Drab
My teen action novel Brought To You By The Color Drab is all about a boy (Race Paloma) who know firsthand what it means to face insurmountable obstacles, to struggle, and to learn what it means to overcome.
You can read the first two chapters right here. Just click below.
