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What if the greatest superpowers weren't flying, invisibility, or super strength, but the everyday abilities that help us survive high school and life? A teen-led group in Clark County called BATS, Bringing Awareness to Students, stopped by WYSO to tell us that in Clark County, superpowers are real.
Kevin Jones: My name is Kevin Jones, and I am a sophomore at Springfield High School. So, it was my freshman year of high school, and it was the start of the second semester, and right after winter break, when school starts again, it gets boring and everyone is ready for summer to begin. That was real for me, because although I liked learning, I wasn't focused or following through on a lot of my work, and it was showing in my grades. Obviously, this was a problem that I had to overcome, and one thing that really helped me overcome this was realizing that you have to have dedication over motivation, and not just doing your homework or whatever you need to do when you feel like it, because yes, we all get that big spark of motivation to want to accomplish all of our goals, but what happens when that spark leaves? You have to have that consistency.
Everyone has a superpower, and I found mine when I was struggling.
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Nevaeh Horne: Hi, my name is Nevaeh Horne. I'm a junior at Springfield High School.
My superpower is resilience. I do really well with just pushing forward, because I know sometimes we can get, like, really down about ourselves, and, like, it can be really hard to get up and just keep going, but when we keep going, it shows that we can do these hard things, and you can keep persevering and pushing through. I think this will make a difference in the community by just showing people that you can do it.
You can keep going. Just because you're down in the moment, which I know I can get very down sometimes, it is possible to get to that end goal. You just have to keep pushing, and it can feel really hard and really heavy, but keep pushing just shows how strong you are, and I know everyone is that strong and strong enough to keep going.
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Sidonie Lauricella: My name is Sidonie Lauricella. I am a sophomore at Springfield High School in Springfield, Ohio. I believe my superpower is bravery.
I've heard somewhere that bravery isn't the opposite of fear, but fear is the source of bravery. For most of my life, I've struggled with social anxiety, and most of my friends and my younger sibling used to talk for me for most of my younger childhood. I don't think I was afraid of talking to people, just my bravery wasn't very loud.
I feel like something I do to help myself with this is putting myself out there, even if it feels uncomfortable. I believe my bravery can help in my community because I'm not afraid to advocate for people who need it. I think I can stand up when it's important to me and use my voice when I believe I can.
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Finn Wilson: My name is Finn Wilson. I am a freshman at Cliff Park High School. My superpower is always being prepared and always having good advice.
I think that's a good thing because you can never be too prepared. In situations, you might need something, and it could be anything. Like if you're bored, I always have a book on me.
What moment in my life made me realize I had this superpower? When I was always carrying a bunch of stuff in my backpack in elementary school. I always had almost everything. If somebody needs something, like hand sanitizer, I can always have it right there for them.
Or if they need something like a pen, I can always have it for them. Or if they're bored, I can always give them a book. Just if they want a hug, I can always give them a hug.
And maybe that's what real superpowers are. Showing people that they're seen, supported, and never alone. Thank you to BATS for sharing your superpowers with us.
Special thanks to Beth Dixon for helping bring this project to life. WYSO Youth Radio is made possible with support from people like you and the Ohio Arts Council. It's produced at The Eichelberger Center for Community Voices.
