CCSS

R.1, R.3, R.4, R.7, W.3, SL.1, L.4, L.6

Out of the Ashes

A year ago, Avery, 15, watched her community burn. That’s when she realized teens need more than food, water, and shelter after a natural disaster. They also need to feel like themselves again.

December 2025/January 2026

by Avery Colvert, as told to Anna Starecheski

David McNew/Getty Images

Altadena, California, after the fire

Once you look out the window and see a mountainside on fire, it’s not something you forget. It’s not only the terrifying image—like something out of a movie—that has stuck with me. It’s how helpless I felt.

I couldn’t stop the flames from ripping through my neighborhood. I couldn’t save my school or my friends’ houses.

Was there anything I could do?

Once you look out the window and see a mountainside on fire, it’s not something you forget. It’s not just the scary sight that has stuck with me. It’s how helpless I felt.

I couldn’t stop the flames from ripping through my neighborhood. I couldn’t save my school or my friends’ houses.

Was there anything I could do?

I couldn’t stop the flames from ripping through my neighborhood. I couldn’t save my school or my friends’ houses.

Was there anything I could do?

A Beautiful Home

JOSH EDELSON/AFP via Getty Images

Helping Girls Heal
Avery collects donations for local teens. She lost her school in the wildfire.

I’ve lived in Southern California only since 2021. But I plan on spending the rest of my life here. Right away I fell in love with it—the people, the fashion, the sunny weather year-round. I especially loved my school, Eliot Arts Magnet Academy. It was beautiful, with old buildings and tall palm trees.

I couldn’t have known January 7 would be my last day at Eliot. But I do remember that something felt eerie about that day. My mom dropped me off at school that morning. When I opened the car door, the wind almost pulled it off the hinges.

That was shocking but not super unusual. Strong winds blow through Southern California a few times a year.

But in January, those winds combined with a drought—a long time without rain. Together they created dangerous fire conditions.

School closed early that day. I went to my friend Lisa’s house. Around 6 p.m., the fire started. Shortly after, my mom called to say she was picking me up. It was time to evacuate.

I’ve lived in Southern California only since 2021. But I plan to spend my life here. I love the people, the fashion, and the sunny weather. I especially loved my school, Eliot Arts Magnet Academy. It was beautiful, with old buildings and tall palm trees.

I didn’t know January 7 would be my last day at Eliot. But something felt eerie about that day. My mom dropped me off at school that morning. When I opened the car door, the wind almost pulled it off the hinges.

That was shocking but not too unusual. Strong winds blow through Southern California a few times a year.

But in January, those winds combined with a drought—a long time without rain. That led to dangerous fire conditions.

School closed early that day. I went to a friend’s house. Around 6 p.m., the fire started. My mom called. She was picking me up. It was time to evacuate.

I’ve lived in Southern California only since 2021, but I plan on spending the rest of my life here. I instantly fell in love with it—the people, the fashion, the sunny weather year-round. I especially loved my school, Eliot Arts Magnet Academy. It was beautiful, with old buildings and tall palm trees.

I couldn’t have known January 7 would be my last day at Eliot, but I do recall that something felt eerie about that day. My mom dropped me off at school that morning, and when I opened the car door, the wind almost pulled it off the hinges.

That was shocking but not super unusual. Strong winds blow through Southern California a few times a year.

But in January, those winds combined with a drought—a long time without rain—to create dangerous fire conditions.

School closed early that day, and I went to my friend Lisa’s house. Around 6 p.m., the fire started. Shortly after, my mom called to say she was picking me up because we needed to evacuate.

Lost Identity

My family knew someone with a creative photography studio in Los Angeles, so that’s where we went. For the next few days, I was glued to my phone. I was getting texts from friends saying their houses had burned down. I got videos showing Eliot in flames. I used apps to track the fires. Luckily, our house didn’t burn.

I also watched as donations poured in. People sent food, water, and household items. But I kept thinking about what I would miss most if I lost everything, and it wasn’t just the necessities. My clothes and makeup are a big part of my identity. I know that’s the case for many girls.

So I asked my friends what they needed. I set up an Instagram account to ask for donations. The handle was @AltadenaGirls.

I never could have imagined what happened next.

My family knew someone with a photography studio in Los Angeles, so that’s where we went. For the next few days, I was glued to my phone. Friends were texting to say their houses had burned down. I got videos showing Eliot in flames. I used apps to track the fires. Luckily, our house didn’t burn.

I also watched as donations poured in. People sent food, water, and household items. But I thought about what I would miss most if I lost everything, and it wasn’t just the necessities. My clothes and makeup are a big part of my identity. That’s true for many girls.

I asked my friends what they needed. I set up an Instagram account to ask for donations. The handle was @AltadenaGirls.

I couldn’t believe what happened next.

My family knew someone with a creative photography studio in Los Angeles, so that’s where we went. For the next few days, I was glued to my phone. I was getting texts from friends saying their houses had burned down. I got videos showing Eliot in flames, and I used apps to track the fires. Fortunately, our house didn’t burn.

I also watched as donations poured in. People sent food, water, and household items—but I kept thinking about what I would miss most if I lost everything, and it wasn’t just the necessities.

My clothing and makeup are an important part of my identity, and I know many other girls feel the same way.

So I asked my friends what they needed, and I set up an Instagram account to request donations. The handle was @AltadenaGirls.

I never could have imagined what happened next.

Going Viral

I woke up the next day to see that Charli XCX and Paris Hilton had shared my Instagram post. I had tens of thousands of new followers.

And people were doing more than liking and sharing. Trucks full of donations were lining up along the street at the studio. Dozens of people were showing up to volunteer.

I had been worried that people would think my mission was frivolous. But it seemed like everyone understood. After a trauma, you need more than just food, water, and shelter. You need to feel like yourself again.

The next morning, I saw that Charli XCX and Paris Hilton had shared my post. I had tens of thousands of new followers.

And people weren’t just liking and sharing. Trucks full of donations lined up near the studio. Dozens of people came to volunteer.

I had been worried that people would think my mission was frivolous. But they understood. After a trauma, you need more than just food, water, and shelter. You need to feel like yourself again.

I woke up the next morning to see that Charli XCX and Paris Hilton had shared my Instagram post, and I had tens of thousands of new followers.

And people were doing more than liking and sharing. Trucks full of donations were lining up along the street at the studio. Dozens of people were arriving to volunteer.

I had been worried that people would regard my mission as frivolous—but it seemed like everyone understood. After a trauma, you need more than just food, water, and shelter. You need a way to feel like yourself again.

Trust Your Gut

Courtesy Altadena Girls

Feeling the Love
Avery collects the notes people send in with their donations. Here are just a few!

Since starting Altadena Girls, my whole life has changed. I’m so proud of everything we’ve done.

We’ve given out more than a million items. We’ve hosted a prom, a back-to-school event, and more. And this fall, we opened a community center. It’s a place where girls can come for mental health support, dance and yoga classes, and more.

People ask me how I managed to build something so big. I think the most important thing I did was trust my gut. Often young people are told we should listen to adults because they know best. But I think Altadena Girls was something that only a teen could think of.

If you have an idea and you really think it could work, just trust yourself. You never know where it could lead.

Altadena Girls has changed my life. I’m proud of what we’ve done.

We’ve given out more than a million items. We’ve hosted a prom, a back-to-school event, and more. And this fall, we opened a community center. Girls can go there for mental health support, dance and yoga classes, and more.

People ask how I built something so big. One thing I did was trust my gut. Young people are told that adults know best. But I think Altadena Girls was something only a teen could think of.

If you have an idea you believe in, trust yourself. You never know where it could lead.

Since starting Altadena Girls, my entire life has changed. I’m incredibly proud of everything we’ve accomplished.

We’ve given out more than a million items. We’ve hosted a prom, a back-to-school event, and more. And this fall, we opened a community center where girls can come for mental health support, dance and yoga classes, and more.

People ask me how I managed to build something so big. I think the most important thing I did was trust my gut. Often young people are told we should listen to adults because they know best—but I think Altadena Girls was something that only a teen could think of.

If you have an idea and you really believe it could work, just trust yourself. You never know where it could lead.

ACTIVITY:
Problem and Solution

You’ve just read “Out of the Ashes” Now it’s time to do this activity.

What to do: The story describes a problem that Avery noticed and how she solved it. Fill in the blanks in the chart below. First, identify the solution. Then, write in details from the story that help you understand the problem and solution.