Shaina Lu, age 17*, Ashley Bae, age 13*, and Victor Hsieh, age 13*

Shaina Lu, age 17*
Author and Illustrator

Shaina spent her junior year at San Marino High School creating and designing Puppets, what she hopes will be the first of many books. She aspires to go to college and then become a graphic novel writer & illustrator and social activist. Her hobbies include playing in her school drumline, drawing, reading (especially comics), writing parodies, and recycling various plastic materials.
Her hobbies don't include math, public-speaking, and picking up her dog's poo.

Ashley Bae, age 13*
Author

Thirteen-year-old Ashley Bae currently attends middle school at Westridge School for Girls in Pasadena, California. She loves spending time with her family, especially with her younger sister Emilee. Ashley has been a part of the YouthInkwell community for about two years and enjoys the great learning experience of writing. Ashley also enjoys fencing and playing the cello. In her free time, she listens to music, hangs out with her friends, plays volleyball, and reads.

Victor Hsieh, age 12*
Author

Twelve-year-old Victor Hsieh currently attends Oak Avenue Intermediate School in Temple City, California, where he lives with his mother and father and two older sisters, Tracy and Jessica. His favorite hobbies are playing basketball and solving Sudoku puzzles. When he gets older, he would like to be an NBA star. He loves to come to Youthinkwell because he knows that he’ll "be raising money to help children here in our local community and children in Africa where they need the most help."
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Cate Hurley, age 10*
Author and Illustrator

C. Yuriko Hurley is 10 years old and is currently a fifth grader at the Westridge School for Girls in Pasadena, California. She lives with her mother Kim, father Michael, and little brother John. Some of her hobbies include basketball, volleyball, and writing. The profits from this book will be donated to help build water wells in Uganda, which Cate hopes her friend will see next summer during her annual trip to Africa.
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Noel Mollinedo, age 12*
Author and Illustrator

Noel Mollinedo is 12 years old. He currently attends Chandler School in Pasadena where his favorite subjects are history and writing. In his free time, he loves to play basketball, read long novels, such as Harry Potter, and rock out to his favorite band, Green Day. Noel hopes that when people read "Clean Slate," they will realize that no matter how self-centered a person can be, there is still hope for change even if it involves a magic eraser. Noel currently resides in San Gabriel with his hardworking, single mother, who has become a foster parent to 5-year-old brother Noah, and with his two pets: his cat, Diamond and his dog, Siouxsee.
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Sidney Zahabizadeh , age 13*
Author and Illustrator

Sidney Zahabizadeh is 13 years old. She goes to Westridge School in Pasadena, California. Eventually, she wants to travel to far-away places, such as Paris and Rome. She hopes that after reading this book people will learn not to judge other people they do not know since everyone has something to offer. Sidney lives at home with her younger brother, Spencer, and her parents.
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Amelia Mayberry, age 9*
Author and Illustrator

Amelia Mayberry is 9 years old. In September 2005, she'll be attending 4th grade at Westridge School. She lives with her older sister Emma, who is 14 and going into ninth grade, and her 12-year-old brother Douglas, who is going into seventh grade. She also lives with her parents, Betsy and John. Her favorite subjects are math, science, and art. She loves animals and has one dog. She will be very happy when she sees how many wells in Uganda she and her classmates helped raise money to build.
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Michael Lii , age 9*
Author and Illustrator

"My name is Michael Lii, but my friends call me Mike. I live in Arcadia, California. Although my parents are from Taiwan, I was born in California at San Gabriel Hospital on Novermber 9, 1994 around 1:30 PM. I am a student at the Chandler School, where my older sister, Clarice Lii, also goes. If I could choose one animal as a pet, I would choose a penguin. I wrote 'The Attack on Hidden Island' at a writing center called YouthInkwell with the help of Miss Jennifer Sarja. I am a Christian and enjoy listening to Hip-Hop and R&B. I love to play different sports, especially tennis and basketball. I hope to become a doctor or tennis pro when I grow up."
-Michael
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Jeanette Low, age 16*
Illustration Coloring and Special Effects

Jeanette Low is a student at Arcadia High School. She spends her free time creating graphic images in Photoshop, reading romance/mystery novels, and serving as the Executive Graphics Editor of The Arcadian, her school's yearbook. She also enjoys spending time with her friends and her dog, Lucky. Jeanette hopes someday to be a psychiatrist or an elementary school teacher. It is Jeanette's hope that her work on this project will raise awareness of the destitution in Africa.
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Jessica Chuang, age 17*
Project Manager

Jessica Chuang is a student at Arcadia High School. When she was five years old, Jessica moved to Arcadia where she lives today with her parents, her two fish, and her dog, Sunday. When she's not busy with school, Jessica enjoys listening to various types of music, watching movies, spending time with friends, and when there is time, traveling to different places around the world. After graduating from high school, Jessica aspires to attend a four-year college or university where she will study chemistry and graphic design.
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Tina Tsaur , age 16*
Marketing Director

Using her marketing skills, Tina Tsaur has worked hard to make "The Water Well Project" a success. Besides participating in this project, Tina currently attends Arcadia High School and expects to enroll in college in the fall of 2006. Tina enjoys playing basketball on her school's team and doing Tae Kwon Do. In addition to playing sports, Tina also enjoys fixing computers and spending time with her family and friends. By contributing to this project, Tina hopes that she can take a small step towards making a difference in our world.
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David Ro, age 17*
Illustrator

Eager to use his art in a philanthropic effort, David Ro committed immediately to co-illustrating When Watute Wants Some Water over the summer months of 2005. Set to graduate from Southern California's Alhambra High School in 2006, David has been actively pursuing a future as a graphic designer for many years. He has already served as the head cartoonist for The Moor, his school's weekly newspaper. In his spare time, David plays numerous musical instruments, including piano and violin, and choreographs hip-hop dance. When asked why he joined the Watute team, David said that he wanted to share "not only a storybook, but also a moral ideal."
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Henry Phan, age 17*
Co-Illustrator

As co-illustrator of When Watute Wants Some Water, Henry Phan brought Watute to life on pencil and paper. Along with drawing, Henry helped color and edit the images that tell Watute's story. In addition to art, Henry loves music and reading. He is also a hurdler on his high school's track team. Henry aspires to become a journalist, mechanical/electrical engineer, and/or Spanish teacher. When asked why he joined the Watute team, he answered: "I see this project as an opportunity to employ my creativity in a small act of philanthropy. It is my hope that this book can raise awareness of the indigence that plagues many African villages and the necessity of raising money to build wells." A senior at Arcadia High School in California, Henry will graduate in 2006.