Local Teens Help Kids Craft Comic Creations

February 13, 2026
• A group of high schoolers is on a mission to let kids be kids.

When Vaneezah Khan entered high school, she had to make a difficult choice. Growing up, she expressed herself through art by drawing portraits and painting in her free time, but she faced an unfortunate reality when she planned out her academic schedule: she only had time for art or chorus. She chose chorus.

Beyond doodling in her notebook, Khan, now a junior at Needham High School, struggled to engage with a hobby she once loved. A desire to flex that muscle spurred her to found Picture This!, an organization that works with local elementary school kids to design their own comic books. She started the endeavor last year.

Picture This! has allowed Khan, other high schoolers and children to tap into their creativity, uninhibited by academic obligations or specific structure. Students’ books range from the silly — take “The Big Fat Cat” and “The Haunted Pickle,” for instance — to the sweet, in which kids share stories of their real friendships and love for their family.

Their imaginations run wild.

“I started this because I wanted to use my talent for good,” Khan said, “and also share with the kids in the community and allow them to express themselves through art, writing, storytelling.”

Across four free workshops, groups of students learn about crafting a short story, basics of drawing and coloring, formatting a comic book with panels and dialogue and completing the project in time for a showcase for family and friends. They hold classes at the Center at the Heights.

At their second showcase last Tuesday, participating students read their books aloud, and about 20 displayed their works for attendees to flip through. Titles included “Super Pets,” “The Headless Chicken,” “A Minecraft Story,” and, of course, “67 41.”

“Some of the kids will come up with these crazy creative liberties,” NHS junior Maggie Murray said. Murray primarily works with students on their writing. “I feel like I’ve learned how to be a more effective teacher, to have kids listen and be a sort of person that will help support the kids in all their creative ideas and their ventures.”

Murray, Khan and fellow NHS junior Zoe Berg combine their passions for writing, art, teaching and community-building, taking charge of different workshop sessions to help students along. Berg, an AP Art student, teaches kids about perspective and drawing basics they can apply to their books.

Berg said a little guidance — and fun — goes a long way.

“If you just give this opportunity for kids where they can go and express themselves and explore what they want to do in a little more structured format, they thrive,” she said. “We want kids to have an outlet to express what’s in their heads.”

The group’s fall session generated 30 sign-ups, kickstarting their first showcase. Murray said the project also provides an opportunity for connection.

“Even if the kids don’t present in the showcase and don’t want to, they love showing it to us in our sessions,” Murray said. “And we just find it really precious that they trust us enough to be able to show us their completed work.”

A consequence of working with children? Their spirit and creativity are contagious. The high schoolers say they’ve each learned to pursue their passions without striving for perfection or complete clarity. Sometimes, just getting an idea down on paper unlocks something.

For Murray, that takes the form of writing stories with her cousins over the holidays and painting with her brothers. For Berg, it’s remembering to have fun and lean into the ridiculous or the zany.

“As long as you’re making, you’re always developing your skills for storytelling or for making art,” Berg said. “You should just go for it.”

While Khan may not sit at her desk to make art anymore — “I am so swarmed with homework,” she said — she’s since completed family portraits and captured places she’s visited. She said she’s grateful for that.

“I realized that even though I might be scared to try something, I think it’s good to always try it anyway and see where it takes me,” Khan said, “because most of the time, it’ll lead to something good, and I’ll learn more about myself and my skills and what I can do.”