Ten Admired Teens

Share on Facebook

Is there anything world champion gymnast Shawn Johnson can’t do? Between her medal-winning acrobatics at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing to her first place finish on the eighth season of the network television hit “Dancing with the Stars,” Johnson is one admirable teen. At age 17, Johnson has achieved more than most achieve in a lifetime.

Johnson’s list of feats runs deep. From her all-around wins on the U.S. National and World Championship stage in 2007 to her gold medal-winning performance on the balance beam at the 2008 Games, the spunky, Iowa native says she could not have landed on her feet without guidance from her mentors and a will to reach the top.

We caught up with Shawn Johnson on a recent visit to Chicago, where she dished on how she achieved her dreams and goals—and what’s cool about the library carrying her biography.

What other extraordinary things are some teens are doing? We’ve compiled a list of nine more teens who have sang, sautéed, skated and sewed their way to the top in less than 20 years.

David Archuleta

American Idol Runner-Up, Season Seven

Age: 18

Before David Archuleta was crooning his way to the top of American Idol, he was charming the judges as a junior vocalist for the lauded Star Search talent competition. At Age 12, the Florida native won the title of “Junior Singer Star” and took his swagger to the top of the charts. Although Archuleta would eventually be named the runner-up winner for season seven of American Idol, the road to fame wasn’t easy. The vocal protégé, who started singing at age seven, actually had to stop for several years when he discovered he had a paralyzed vocal cord. Determined to let his true talent shine, Archuleta persevered, going on to score a 2008 Top 40 hit on VH1 with the spunky pop track, “Crush.”

Abigail Breslin

Oscar-Nominated Actress

Age: 13

Talk about a ray of sunshine. Abigail Breslin has already seen her share of fame, thanks to her knack for playing quirky on-screen characters, such as bemusing beauty queen Olive Hoover. Her performance in the 2006 Indie hit Little Miss Sunshine earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress. Born and raised in New York City, this 13-year-old’s resume runs deep, with acting credits dating back to her third birthday. When Breslin is not mugging her cuteness for the camera, she indulges in shopping in Greenwich Village along with her favorite dessert—raspberry mousse cake.

Sammy Jo Claussen

Best Teen Chef 2009

Age: 19

If she’s not cooking up her soon-to-be famous Houston Pork Tenderloin with Orange Sauce, teen chef extraordinaire Sammy Jo Claussen is heating up the culinary world with a slew of recipes du jour. The Kansas native recently proved her kitchen skills when she was named “Best Teen Chef 2009” by The International Culinary Schools at The Art Institutes. Claussen beat out 34 other high school students from around the country, whipping up comfort classics such as garlic mashed potatoes and pan-fried catfish. Future top chefs take note: Claussen translated her cooking know-how into a full-tuition scholarship to study culinary arts at The International Culinary School in Kansas City, as well as the opportunity to serve as “Intern for a Day” in the Food Network kitchens. Delish!

Catherine Cook

Co-founder of myYearbook.com

Age: 19

Since co-founding the social networking site www.myYearbook.com four years ago, Catherine Cook’s Pennsylvania-based business has grown ten-fold. In fact, it was the only social network site besides Facebook to grow in 2008, according to Internet search intelligence site Hitwise.com. MyYearbook.com claims more than 10 million members with Cook at its entrepreneurial helm. In the past six months alone, the site has raised $17.1 million in venture funding thanks to its Lunch Money program, the site’s “virtual currency” program that allows members to donate to various causes including world hunger and fighting cancer. The donations have saved 3 million square feet of rainforest, and sent 22,000 books and bought 40,000 pounds of rice for the hungry. Not bad for someone under 20.

Marie Mason

Young Woman of Distinction: Girl Scouts of America 

Age: 18

Oklahoma City Girl Scout Marie Mason has channeled her passion for cooking into a greater missionary cause. In 2006, Mason spearheaded a fundraising dinner in an effort to build an English Language School in Cambodia. She followed it up with fundraising dinners in 2008 and 2009. In addition to serving as head chef for each event, Mason raised more than $13,000 over the course of three years.

Since raising the money, Mason has traveled to Cambodia several times to oversee the construction of a school and to work with kids on a daily basis.

“I think that it is part of my civic duty to give back to others who are less fortunate than me,” says Mason, who plans to study either medicine or business and minor in international studies. She looks to open more schools in the future and loves meeting other kids around the world.”

“I proved that teens can make a difference,” she says. “You don’t need to be 35 with a 40-hour a week job to make a difference. In today’s world, teens have a lot of opportunities to help.”

Donny Ouyang

CEO, Kinkarso Tech Limited

Age: 17

Donny Ouyang’s multi-tasking talents run deep. In addition to serving as CEO for his Internet development company Kinkarso Tech, he plays plenty of basketball, piano and guitar at a high school in Vancouver, Canada. In 2008, Ouyang was already making more than $6,500 a month by revamping unwanted Web sites and reselling them for a profit. Ouyang’s early road to success began when he was 12 years old when he began mining his dad’s old computer and taught himself HTML code and Web techniques.

“I believe that anyone, anywhere, in any situation is able to do what I do. There is no special ‘skill’ involved, as long as you are willing to take the risk to put your best foot forward,” Ouyang said in a 2008 interview with “Retire@21,” a young entrepreneur real estate blog. “Everything else comes with time.”

Ryan Sheckler

Teen Skateboarding/Realty TV Star

Age: 19

Since winning a gold medal at the 2003 Summer X Games, professional skateboarder Ryan Sheckler (aka “Shecks” or “Shecky”) has gone on to win numerous titles and even scored his own realty TV show on MTV. The California native started skating in driveways when he was 18 months old; by the time Sheckler was four, he was already doing ollies. Shecky’s determination led him to the ramps at age seven, when he began skating daily and paving the way to success. Today, the SoCal superstar’s hard work has translated into skating titles and sponsorships galore. His ultimate goal? To become a skateboard legend, he says.

Sara Trail

Author, Sew with Sara Books and DVD Series

Age: 14

When Sara Trail started helping her mother sew a quilt at age four, it was only the start of what would become an entrepreneurial passion for this Northern California teen. At 14 years old, Trail has mastered the craft of sewing, started her own business designing and selling clothes and accessories, and authored a book and DVD that introduce teens to the fun of sewing. Trail credits her achievements to not only her hard work, but also to her adult mentors who guided her to such early success. What’s Trail’s future ambition? To be a fashion designer, of course.

Michelle Wie

Ladies Professional Golf Association Phenomenon

Age: 19

Since joining the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) at age 13, Wie has quickly made a name for herself as a rising star—among women and male players alike. Through countless hours of work on the course and the putting green, Wie says she hopes to become the first woman to play in the Masters. As she pursues her competitive dreams, Wie is also pursuing academic ones; she recently passed another quarter at Stanford University with A’s and B’s in engineering, neuroscience, art and Korean drama. Sounds like an ace-in-the-hole to us!

Find out more about our most admired teens with these recommended resources available at your local library.

Recommended Resources

Shawn Johnson Olympic Champion: The Story Behind the Smile

Published by Lexicon

Shawn Johnson, 2008 Beijing Olympics gold medal-winning gymnast, shares personal stories of her childhood, relationships with family and friends, training, the road to the Olympics, and how it feels to be in the international spotlight and a role model for teens. The book includes photos, quotes from Johnson’s family and friends and the inspiring story that has taken Johnson to the top of her game.

Abigail Breslin

By Amie Jane Leavitt

Young teen audiences loved her in Kit Kittredge—An American Girl and “Nim’s Island”: http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/230761914&referer=brief_results. Now read her story to success in this revealing look at one of Hollywood’s brightest teen stars.

Ryan Sheckler: The Real Life of a Hot Skater

By Kimberly Nicholas

This unauthorized biography features 100 photos of Ryan Sheckler, a pro-skateboarder and star of his own MTV reality series, Life of Ryan. Fans will get an up close and personal look at his smoking hot skate career and even find out a few guarded, behind the scenes secrets.

David Archuleta

By David Archuleta

As “American Idol’s” season seven fan favorite, David Archuleta has become a household name as he spent his 2008 summer on the nationwide American Idol tour with fellow contestants. The industry’s most talented writers and producers convened to showcase the star’s vocal prowess in this hot debut, which also produced the first hit single, “Crush.” Check out the “”Best Of””:http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/62179711&referer=brief_results American Idol performances from seasons one, two and three now available at your local library.

Michelle Wie

By Jim Gigliotti

Follow Michelle Wie’s amazing Ladies Professional Golf Association career in this full tilt read, which includes sections such as “So Young and So Good,” “Swinging for Perfection” and “Breaking Ground with Every Shot.” Read how Wie is only beginning to perfect her long drive

Tiger Beat

(Monthly Periodical)

Can’t get enough of Shawn’s beam routines on the web? Then scope out where she—or dozens of other teen celebrities—hang out through the monthly pages of Tiger Beat. Follow your favorite celebs as they walk their dogs down Hollywood Boulevard or devour ice cream at their favorite Brooklyn haunts. Filled with hundreds of glossy photos and in-the-know gossip, Tiger Beat dishes the latest scope on the hots-and-nots of teen stardom. Bon appétit!