Week 1
1. Ruby Bridges
Ruby Bridges has become one of the most well-known stories of desegregation and schools…
2. Malala Yousafzai
Malala Yousafzai has gained notoriety for her advocacy for education, particularly for women….
3. Shirley Temple
Shirly Temple was a childhood actor at the beginning of American cinema, as cinema changed her life was transformed…
4. Harriet Jacobs
Harriet Jacobs was born into slavery and experienced inexplicable incidences that empowered her to share her story…
5. John Clem
John Clem enlisted in the US Army at an extremely age, served during several conflicts, and rose to a very high rank…
Week 2
6. Samantha Smith
In the early 1980s, American elementary student Samantha Smith wrote a letter to the leader of the Soviet Union in a side note to the Cold War…
7. Ryan White
As questions and concerns about HIV and AIDS spread throughout the US in the 1980s, the story of Ryan White gained national attention…
8. Mary Lou Retton
Mary Lou Retton competed in the Olympics in her mid-teens and left an indelible mark on sports history…
9. Vergil Ortiz Jr.
Vergil Ortiz Jr. had a celebrated amateur career and has made a name for himself as the probable future of boxing…
10. Freddy Adu
Freddy Adu has had a notable career in professional soccer but some people feel he did not live up to his hype…
Week 3
11. Bobby Fisher
Bobby Fisher was a child prodigy in the game of Chess and used that platform to share his views on more than just the game…
12. Gisella Perl
Gisella Perl was a gifted student who excelled in the sciences. Her aptitude in those skills would have a significant impact on her life…
13. KRS-ONE
New York’s KRS-ONE has earned respect as an artist for his willingness to share perspective and challenge the norms…
14. Zlata Filipovic
Zlata Filipovic shared her perspective of war as it occurred in her country in what became the book Zlata’s Diary…
15. La Malinche
Although she has several different names, La Malinche has become one of the most well-known, learn how she helped shape the Americas…
Week 4
16. Linda Brown
Monroe Elementary student Linda Brown became the face of racial desegregation in schools as a part of “Brown vs. Board of Education”….
17. Roberto Alvarez
In the early 1930s, Lemon Grove, California faced an incident brought up by Roberto Alvarez and others regarding learning environments…
18. Steve Caballero
Skateboard icon Steve Caballero shares his perspective on how to become good at more than one thing and why that’s important…
19. William Kamkwamba
William Kawkwamba proved the power of ingenuity and resourcefulness when he built a windmill to create electricity from available scrap…
20. Johnny Lang
Master guitarist Johnny Lang gained notoriety for having extraordinary musical abilities at a very young age…