Meet the Team

Meet the Writers

The voices behind Open Column

Open Column is powered by teen journalists, critics, and storytellers who take the work seriously and write for their peers. On this page, you’ll eventually find the people behind the bylines, the students who make teens voices heard, unpacking culture, breaking down business and science, and shaping the features that define our publication.

Explore the profiles below to get a sense of who helps with Open Column, what they care about, and how they use journalism to make sense of the world around them.

Our Wonderful Team!

Natalie Milik

Founder/Editor-in-Chief

10th Grade/ 15 years old

Bio: Hi! I’m a sophomore who loves writing, debating, asking way too many questions, and going down extremely random research rabbit holes.

Samuel Shen

Heal of Operations

10th Grade/ 14 years old

Bio: Hey everyone! I just moved from Vancouver, Canada to Calidornia. I enjoy synthesis writing, visual arts, and I am a huge buisness and consulting nerd.

Want to see your byline here?

Open Column publishes teen journalism across news, opinion, culture, business, science, and longform features. If you’re a teen writer with a story to tell or a question you can’t stop asking, we want to read your work.

Use the button above to access our submission form. Share finished drafts, pitches, or works-in-progress, our editorial team of teens and advisors will review every piece with care.

I’m Natalie

I’m Natalie, the founder and editor of Open Column, a youth-led publication created to give young writers a space to share their ideas, perspectives, and stories. I started Open Column because I believe teenagers deserve more opportunities to be heard beyond the classroom. Young people have meaningful opinions on politics, culture, technology, education, business, and the issues shaping our generation, yet those perspectives are often overlooked.

Let’s connect

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