Search Results for: gabrielle begun

March 1, 2018

Gabrielle Begun

We Are HereSan Francisco, CAPhotos by Lauri LevenfeldStory by Gabrielle Begun

I’m no politician. I don’t usually follow the news. But today, during our student/teacher led assembly, where we were supposed to discuss something that had happened a week ago, I got up along with 400 students and walked outside to have 17 minutes of silence for those who lost their lives in the school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, followed by an emotional, empowering, and important student-led demonstration.

The day that the shooting happened, I didn’t have school, so I stumbled upon it while on Instagram. It was a disturbing video of teenagers running for their lives with their hands up in the air with the headline “School Shooting in Florida”. You want to know the first thing I felt? Absolutely nothing. It was at that moment that I realized that I had become so normalized with mass shootings and death in the U.S that I kept scrolling, and that scared me so much.

I felt nothing until one of my friends posted the video on her Instagram, and I suddenly woke up. I woke up to the videos of high schoolers crying in interviews because their friend had just been mercilessly murdered. I woke up to the screams and yells of kids my age, making it clear that it was far too late, and that something had to be done about guns…

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June 22, 2017

Gabrielle Begun

AuthorSan Francisco, CAPhotos by Lauri LevenfeldStory by Gabrielle Begun

I consider myself a dreamer. Not because I’ve got my head stuck too far up in the clouds, but because I dream of my future and fantasy more than “usual”.  My friends think that my expectations for my future are unrealistic, and that I have to grow up sometimes, and I completely agree. They are unrealistic and ambitious. But isn’t that the point? I’ve always been the biggest dreamer, because of my vivid imagination and passion to do the impossible, and I’ve been put down  

for that countless times, but I made a promise to myself when I was 8 to always look at the world as if it is my first time seeing it. This started when I was a fairy-loving 6 year old. I believed in The Second Star to the Right, so I recited the little poem (Star light, star bright…) and would wish on that star every night. My belief in the “unreal” attracted the ruthlessness of little children, and I was bullied for six years. But I kept believing and dreaming.

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November 2, 2016

Gabrielle Begun

Published AuthorSan Francisco, CAPhotos by Lauri LevenfeldStory by Gabrielle Begun

How many girls out there have always dreamed of being in a photoshoot? Where the camera is ready, everyone respects you, people make way for you on the streets, and all the attention is on you. As a little girl, well at least before I published my book, I had always dreamed of being in that position; being respected enough to get my own personal photoshoot and for my pictures to be swiftly thrown out into the world. The problem was, I was an extremely shy kid. I didn’t

have stage fright, but I was shy in front of the camera and other people. I had no trouble performing but I had trouble meeting people and holding conversations without breaking a nervous sweat, and I still sometimes do. It might sound strange saying that I feel at home on stage but when meeting new people and starting conversations or talking with adults I feel like a turtle who wants to crawl back into her shell.

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September 21, 2016

Gabrielle Begun

WriterSan Francisco, CAPhotos by Lauri LevenfeldStory by Gabrielle Begun

To write a bio about yourself, you have to know yourself very well, and trust that you will make yourself sound like a decent human being. Right now, I’m trying to accomplish this very thing. I’m going to start with the simplest thing; my name. I’m Gabrielle Begun, I’m twelve years old (even though I don’t look it), and I’m in eighth grade. I’m a published author with 15 book readings under my belt and a huge passion for writing. I also love performing; acting, singing, and playing guitar and piano. I’m in a band and I have to say, it’s really fun. And to add to all of this; I love reading books and watching movies equally, so there is no question which I like better. But I love both to such a high point, it’s undescribable. I love everything about movies, and I definitely watch a lot of them. The same with books. My current favorite book is Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children and my current favorite movie is Edward Scissorhands.

Well, now you know my interests and outside personality. I’m going to give a shot at the inside part now. I’ve been told I’m a deep person and an old soul, because of the fact that my heart, mind, and soul do not seem the same age as my body. I’m an introvert, but I like to talk to and be around people. I’ve also been told that I am extremely imaginative,…

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November 7, 2014

Gabrielle Begun

Author of Freddy the PennySan Francisco, CAPhotography by Lauri LevenfeldStory by Lauri Levenfeld

When I heard Gabrielle’s story, my jaw hit the ground. Being a mom of a 5-year old, I was inspired and excited to see how a ten year old had the drive and dedication to take an award-winning writing assignment and turn it into a published first book. That’s exactly what Gabrielle did (with her awesome family beside her!) and now Freddy the Penny is on sale and hopefully coming to a bookshelf near you. I sat down for a Q&A with Gabrielle, and then, asked her mom about the behind the scenes of how she took her daughter’s dreams and helped make them a reality.

 

Margarita…From day one, when Gabrielle came home from school and announced that she wanted to write a book about a penny, I never stopped believing in her. I was always amazed at her dedication. She began writing at age 8 and finished the book when she was 9. For a year, she would wake up at 6am every day and write for 15-30 minutes. Her dedication encouraged me to do something with her story. At first I showed her finished work to her language arts teacher in school.  

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