Jaleesa Pon is founder of M.A.D4Teens magazine. M.A.D4Teens explores a wide range of issues that are important and relevant to young people; relationships, money, happiness, fashion, sport, arts (music, dance, painting, media), travel, health & social life.
Jaleesa Pon holding the first issue of M.A.D4Teens
- Jaleesa Pon. 20 year-old Brisbane local.
- A Multicultural girl of PNG/Chinese heritage.
- The oldest of 4 kids.
- Love food and spending time with family and friends.
- Huge fan of the arts – I enjoy the theatre, ballroom dancing, playing piano and singing.
- Travel rocks my world! One of my life missions is to travel overseas at least once a year every year … that’s how much I love it!
- A broadcaster on the multicultural youth radio show “Oxygen” (Radio 4EB 98.1FM).
- I work in the finance industry and am revelling in the challenges.
- And I also work with like-minded young people who are committed to the same things.
What are you working on right now?
M.A.D4Teens Magazine – the magazine that is Making A Difference.
It’s a magazine that is independently created and publised by a team of young people for other young people to enjoy. It exists to give youth opportunities to:
- gain work experience in working behind the scenes of a publication;
- be featured in the magazine and be recognised for their talent(s)
- form friendships with like-minded teens
- & meet influential figures in the industry
I’m also working on the building of an educational, encouraging and interactive online community for youth.
When do you feel at your best and when you feel at your worst how do
you get through it?
I feel at my best when I honour my word and fulfill on the committments I’ve made AND
also when I know I’ve made a difference to another and left a smile on their face!
When I feel at my worst, I have a look for what happened that had me get down (the situation / event / circumstance).
Then I give myself the freedom to be upset/uncomfortable etc. and allow myself to be a ‘drama queen’.. BUT only for a few minutes!
Then I simply get back in action and get on with what needs to be done next. Nothing can be accomplished when you wallow in things that have already happened.
Where do you see yourself in five years time?
In 5 years time I see myself as a bold entrepreneur; building businesses and working in/with various communities around the world, making a difference to them.
I also see myself married, in a healthy financial position, continuing to work with the team of M.A.D4Teens Magazine, learning another language and still travelling… of course!
Why do you do what you do?
What I’m committed to is transforming the world through empowering and enabling young people. I want to make a difference to the youth community.
WHY?
Because youth are the leaders of our future and are the people who will be responsible for what happens in the world… and when I turn on the news, I want to see a world that works. Not one that is full of pain; poverty and wars.
How have you been able to do what you love?
By managing my time and by always taking the next steps.
Get Visible: if there’s anything else you’d like to add, speak now or forever hold your peace!
To find out more visit www.mad4teens.com.
You can also follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/mad4teens