Staff Notes

What I Learned From a Bunch of Kids in Our 10 Under 10 Feature

these kids are cool, funny, and accomplished

Sawyer Hoff, photos by Andrea Paulseth |

This year, I had the great honor of taking charge of our 10 Under 10 feature, in which we highlight 10 really cool kids from the area (you’ll find it on page 60 of our latest issue). From sifting through all the applications to setting up times to interview the kids and get their picture, to writing about them and even doing a lot of the design work, this feature truly turned into my kid. There were a lot of cool and funny and all-around amazing moments throughout this process. First, I merely stated to parents that if they or their child had props that went along with their story, they could bring those for the photos – and they did not disappoint. Props ranged from a beekeeper suit to musical instruments to an actual live cat. The kids looked great in their photos, but the most amazing part was the conversations I had with them. Even though kids are the hardest people to interview (they get nervous and often don’t say much), these kids blew my mind with the stuff they knew, the stuff they’ve done, and their hilarious personalities. A lot of these kids have accomplished things that many adults haven’t done, and yet they’re ever so humble. I love how it all came together, and I’m very excited for the rest of the Chippewa Valley to see how amazing our kiddos can really be.