STT'DENT STFN

Stratford Hall Strrdent Uait"rt Jlo'zAat1 to Social Gharrge

ry illNAH
SEO >> COTUNGWOOD SECONDARY VANCOUVER BC

I\m

facts:

favorrrlte word:
"Sonriso {smile in Sponish}."

arina Alibhai is the definition of a hard-working, motivated high-school teen who is determined to make a difference in the wo-rld. Dissatisfiedviith the current crop of magazines aimed at teen girls, the Grade rr Stratford Hall student created BTW: The Mogazine for Riol Girls. Knowing that teenage girls are in a stage ofself-discovery ind use magazines to he$ shape their identity, she felt itwas extremely important to make a magazine that would educate readers as well as entertain them. Last year, Karina created a BTlVprototype by herself, cover to cover, and she now writes a weekly blog on her website btwgirls.com' In addition to being interviewed by Youthink, Karina was also interviewed on
"fody's Favourite Things" on Breakfost Television. Karina's love for writing and social change has led her on an incredible iourney. Her ambition and her love for the world should inspire others to take a stand and not conform to society's set stereotypes.

f avorrrlte rnagazlrre:
O: fhe Oproh Mogozine - | like Oproh ond I think she hos o voriety of orticles. The messoge thot she wonts to convey is very hue ond very reol."
"

Space exploration or deep ocean

exploratlon:
One word
to complete. I started brainstorming in Grade 9 and finished it at the end ofGrade ro. And I kept website over the

"Deep oceon becouse I like fish."

Yf: Whof inspired you to

stort BfW? KA: I decidedto
start BTW
because I was

unhappywith the

choice of magazines for girls out there my age. I found that they were for a select group ofpeople or they were focusing on one aspect just the appearance or clothes, the materialistic aspect of our lives and missing the educational part, the deeper part ofour lives.

real beauty. This is great and it's a step towards making a change. But there are also some magazines where all ofthe models, they look exactly the same. There's no diversity. So how is somebody like me supposed to relate to that? And it makes me question if I'm supposed to live up to that.

ff**?:" K[:

*t

Y* Whot qne your hopes for continuing BTI4P. KA: Right now, I'm blogging
once a week on my website and most ofthose blog posts are based on themes from my magazine. It would be great to publish another magazine. I want to see it develop and grow, but I don't want to be the only one pushing for it or

to descrlbe yorrselt:
"Chorismotic."

l}Iost treasrrred posression:

"Fomily."

YT: Whof is the feedbock you'Ye received?

I was surprised. I didn't
as

favorrrlte qrrote:
"Be thqnkful for whot you hove; you'll end up hoving more. lfyou concentrote on whot you don'l hove. you will never, ever hove enough." -Oproh Winfrey

think people would like it

YT: Whot wos your greqtest chollenge in

Yl: How do you view

Kf,:
medio currenfly?
I don t think it's great. I mean there are some companies that are doing amazing things, like the Dove@ selfesteem program and its commercials that show

creoting BTW?

Ktr:

much as they did, and it was very humbling to know that people read it, which was my goal - to educate
people on how media can be good. After my interview with |ody on B re akfost Telev ision, tw o people phoned the studio asking ifthey could get a copy of the magazine. Girls can relate to the articles that I've written, and that was my goal.

working for it. Ideally, it would

get a bunch of girls who are all passionate about this, so we could all expand it be great

if I could

The biggest challenge was

doing it by myself. I took all the photos and I had to write all the articles, and it took me a lot oftime. I wanted it to look as professional as I could make it and it was worth it in the end. It took about a year

together.

lf yorr corrld iravel anywlrere, yorr worrld choose:

"holy for food. Spoin for longuoge ond culture."

Checkout Karina's blog at brwgirls.com