In the spring of 1998 I had the luck of skipping a day of school and attending my first political rally with members of United Auto Workers at Hart Plaza in downtown Detroit.
I was twelve years old when I delivered this speech. I have notes handwritten on the side reminding me to use hand gestures and say things like 'good morning' and 'Welcome to the UAW's take your child to work day' so that I wouldn't forget.
It was also the day that I stood in the center one of the world's most historically industrialized cities and declared with 100% confidence that "[children's] opinions matter" and "that young people are capable of helping make this world a better place to live" .
I still believe those words. And I ended my speech that day confident that I could present my opinions clearly to anyone – regardless of age, gender, or sex.
I was twelve years old when I delivered this speech. I have notes handwritten on the side reminding me to use hand gestures and say things like 'good morning' and 'Welcome to the UAW's take your child to work day' so that I wouldn't forget.
It was also the day that I stood in the center one of the world's most historically industrialized cities and declared with 100% confidence that "[children's] opinions matter" and "that young people are capable of helping make this world a better place to live" .
I still believe those words. And I ended my speech that day confident that I could present my opinions clearly to anyone – regardless of age, gender, or sex.
Four years after my grade school FTC days I applied for admission to The University of Michigan. I wrote one of my essays on our group and how much we were able to accomplish. To this day when talking about my life principles I cite my time in grades 5-8 as having a significant impact on who I am as a person.
Kids Can Free the Children has been a part of my life for almost as long as I can remember. It has shaped who I am as a person and will undoubtedly continue to be a point of reference for myself and my identity as I continue on to other things.
Thank you to all who have made this possible and I look forward to continuing working with you in a new capacity!
