Munachiso Nnamani, 9

How do you cope with stress?

“This is from my own beliefs, but I’d say prayer really helps. If you’re trying to curb your own stress by things that you do like reading or sleeping a lot, it’s not really going to last, but if you pray about it then it’s going to last.”

 What aspects of school worsen your stress?

“I feel like it’s people in my classes. I just started doing AP classes… I thought I was pretty smart before, but now it matters how well you’re doing in relation to your other classmates. That influences what college you get into and your entire life, so that’s overwhelming.”

 Do you feel the need to hide your stress?

“Not really because my family works in a way where the more stressed you are, the more slack you get. Before, when I was in middle school, I had to do more chores and they didn’t really take me seriously, but now I’m in the ninth grade and they’re like, ‘Oh, big transition.’ Now they’re easier on me when it comes to the sharing of chores because they know I have stuff to do.”