I'm more surprised by the story telling and narrative of the 14 year old author! Impressed. Pretty sure the only thing I was worrying about when 14 was how to get past the min. word count and not use "however" so much.
Since this is the 21st century and everyone's on a hair trigger for reasons to be offended, everyone in magazines like that is edited, so there's nothing particular about this author getting edited. Magazines have editors for a reason. Nobody produces the best prose on their own without any editing.
The only thing in the article that really struck me as strained was the "We are also the next generation of engineers and innovators," bit. Wouldn't be surprised that was a whole-cloth editorial insertion.
People have been saying this to kids non-stop, so it's not a stretch to think that they would parrot it as well. I think both explanations are plausible.
> Sonia Bokhari is an 8th grader and a persuasive and narrative writer. She is also the leader of her middle school’s Gay-Straight Alliance and a member of the school’s Environmental Club.
She might not be the average 14yo :)
ITT: Everyone forgets about the blogging sites that were popular when they were 13 and 14.
2002 had lots of articulate 14 year olds, what happened with your experience?
"How did you feel? Did you feel betrayed?" "Yeah I guess. It's embarrassing."
=> "I felt utterly embarrassed, and deeply betrayed."
Also this...
> I feel like I’m being spared from what could potentially be dangerous for me at such a young age.
... is definitely written by an adult. For one thing, 14 year olds don't think they are young.
Having been 14 relatively recently, yes, they do, at least in this sort of context.