Boris Fosso, 11

How do you cope with stress?

“For me it’s basketball. Getting around the court and playing can really just take my mind off things. So when I come back, [I] come back fresh and with a new mind. ”

Do your parents have expectations for you?

“I’d say my parents definitely have really high expectations of me. I feel like some people do get stressed out from that… but I just try not to read into it too much. I set my own expectations and then I live up to that, and [by] doing so I live up to their own expectations.”

What aspects of school worsen your stress?

“Tests have a major part of what your overall grade is, and that has a part with your rank and how you measure up to your classmates. When you get a test back and you’re comparing grades, I feel like there can be a lot of stress in how you react and look at each other.”

How often do you compare yourself to those around you? How does this affect you?

“I feel like it helps me in a way because sometimes I just don’t feel like working. It gives a level of competition.”