An hour of 'choose your own adventure' radio by Seattle teens

Grab your map and compass! In this hour of youth-produced radio, we bring you nine stories of teenagers navigating high-stakes decisions and forks in the road.

Stories about making tough choices:

" When faced with a tough choice, my immigrant dad's love kept our family together " by Phillip Zhou | As a kid, Phillip didn't know much about his dad's immigration story. But that all changed recently when Phillip learned about a big choice his dad made for their family.

" Buying hot dogs was an act of resilience for my grandfather in the Jim Crow South " by Nyla Moxley | George “Hot Dog” Moxley. A nickname born in the Jim Crow South and given to a boy who defied the unspoken laws of the time.

" At 16, my grandma had an abortion. At 18, I’m telling her story " by Natalie Lahr | In the summer of 1972, the year before Roe v. Wade made abortion legal nationwide, Elaine Fichter was 16 years old and eight weeks pregnant.

Stories about war:

" My grandfather’s 'Little Story': A journey through war and prison in Vietnam " by Aaron Ton | My grandparents and their children lived comfortably in southern Vietnam. But everything changed on April 30, 1975.

" Walking the Nile in his shoes " by Eliham Mohammed | A daughter reflects on the emotional and challenging journey her father, an Ethiopian refugee, had to make in order to save his life and pursue his dreams.

" Why one young Marine refused to fight in Iraq " by Olivia Asmann | It’s been more than 20 years since Darren Fisher said 'no' to fighting in the so-called war on terror.

Stories about finding your way:

" What's it like being a hijab-wearing model? " by Maymuna Yusuf | Fatuma Yusuf faces and embraces the challenges of being a woman who wears the hijab in the modeling industry.

" 'I thought Columbia was going to save me': The realities for first-generation college students" by Jana Le | When Khanh Doan got into their dream university, they quickly realized going to college wouldn't end their struggle with depression.

" Building community is 'an act of social justice’ at the Seattle Fandango Project " by Vivi Cardenas-Habell | Vivi didn't fully appreciate the Seattle Fandango Project until Covid took it away.

RadioActive Youth Media is KUOW's former radio journalism and audio storytelling program for young people. This showcase was edited by Kelsey Kupferer.

Support for KUOW's RadioActive and this showcase came from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Discovery Center and BECU.