Discovery Girls

Willow Glen resident Ellen Evans, 10 (left), Ashley Coyne (center), 11, and Katy O'Brien, 10, pose during a photo shoot at Campbell Middle School for Discovery Girls magazine. Ellen will be featured in the magazine's August/September issue. By Tiffany Carney When Ellen Evans, 10, was told she was chosen as one of the 12 girls representing California in a popular tween magazine, she couldn't help but scream. Ellen went to San Francisco's Pier 39 on Jan. 23 for her first photo shoot; there she met photographers and the 11 other girls who will be featured in Discovery Girls magazine. On the following day, she met the same group of girls at Campbell Middle School, where she modeled for the second photo shoot. Ellen, a fourth-grader at St. Christopher Elementary School, was chosen as a Discovery Girl for the August/September issue of the bimonthly magazine. Discovery Girls was started in Campbell by Catherine Lee in 2000 with a target audience of girls between ages of 8 and 12. "Our magazine exists to connect girls and give them a voice," said Julia Clause, its associate editor. Discovery Girls features average readers on its pages instead of celebrities and models. Each issue features a different state represented by 12 girls chosen from a pool of thousands of eager applicants. Ellen has been a devoted reader of the magazine since her second-grade teacher at St. Christopher introduced her to it two years ago. "It is really interesting, and I can relate to the people in the magazine. "It doesn't have celebrity gossip or models. It has real girls," she said. The girls featured in the magazine must also write articles for the publication. When Ellen heard the magazine announced California as the next state from where models would be chosen, she started working on her application immediately. The magazine's website suggests girls be creative with their applications to stand out from the crowd. As a result, the magazine has received a variety of submissions, including videos, scrapbooks, fortune cookies made out of fabric and answers written on volleyballs. "[Ellen] made a scrapbook filled with sketches and photographs," Clause said. "We could tell she had been a loyal reader for a long time." Some questions found on the questionnaire are: What are your dreams for the future? Have you ever had an embarrassing moment? What is your biggest worry about growing up? What do you think is the biggest pressure facing young girls today? Girls were chosen from San Diego to Walnut Creek to represent California in the four-page spread. Each girl was also featured in an individual photo accompanied by a quote. The girls also give their feedback. "They are our readers, and we want to know what they think and make sure they are happy with the magazine," Clause said. During the two-day photo shoot, the girls are given the opportunity to critique past issues and brainstorm ideas for future issues. "We went a little over time because we were having so much fun," Clause said of the three-hour photo shoot in San Francisco. The playful ambiance even spilled over to their 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. photo shoot at the school. "We did the Macarena at least 10 times," Clause said, adding that the girls bonded immediately and brought energy and enthusiasm to the shoot. "This was one of my favorite groups of girls ever." Ellen was also given an assignment to write three articles for upcoming issues. She wrote one story on how to deal with boy-crazy friends. As a member of four sports teams, she was the perfect candidate to write the second article on whether girls should play on boys' sports teams. She was also asked to write a story about her father, which she said was the easiest to write. She was also thrilled because her future career might lie with the magazine industry. "I want to be a fashion designer or a mom working in the fashion industry," she said. Patty Evans, her mother, said she is proud her daughter will be featured in a magazine that she believes in as a parent. "It is not too grown up and it is not all about catching a guy," she said. Evans also watched her daughter put forth a great effort in answering the questions and was glad Ellen was selected. "It should be an experience she will remember for the rest of her life," she said. For more information on how to become a Discovery Girl, visit www.discoverygirls.com. Photography by Jacqueline Ramseyer

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