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5 teens from around the world who are young trailblazers

Yanni Chow
20 Nov, 2023

  • Meet these young people who have done extraordinary things to make their mark on the world and take a stand for what’s right

The world needs more people who are willing to do what’s right. Illustration: Shutterstock
The world needs more people who are willing to do what’s right. Illustration: Shutterstock
Before you read

How have these young people made a difference in the world?

Think about it

What impact do you want to make on the world?

Before you read

How have these young people made a difference in the world?

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It doesn’t matter how old you are – even young people can make a big difference! Don’t underestimate these meet five incredible teens from around of the world who are doing extraordinary things to help the environment, explore the world and stand up for what’s right.

Haaziq Kazi

The 17-year-old from India is so passionate about keeping the environment clean that he designed a model for an intelligent ship that can remove plastic waste from the ocean. The ship is called Ervis.

The young innovator gave a Ted Talk speech about his invention when he was 11. Since then, he has started a foundation to inspire others to do something about all of the plastic waste that is polluting the world’s waters. The teen is now trying to build a working version of Ervis.

Cleaning Our Oceans : A Big Plan For A Big Problem | HAAZIQ KAZI | TEDxGateway

Kai Shappley

Kai is a 12-year-old transgender activist from the US state of Texas, who is fighting for people like her to be treated with respect.

When someone is transgender, it means how they express their gender does not match the one they were given at birth. While Kai and her mother have long been fighting for equality, the girl was 11 when she first spoke on her own to state lawmakers about the importance of supporting trans kids like her.

Kai Shappley is a young activist. Photo: Instagram/@kai_shappley
Kai Shappley is a young activist. Photo: Instagram/@kai_shappley

Mack Rutherford

Mack is an 18-year-old British-Belgian aviator who comes from a family of adventurers.

His sister, Zara Rutherford, is the youngest female pilot to fly solo around the world. Mack wanted to follow in her footsteps, so he flew solo around the world too, becoming the youngest person to achieve this incredible feat when he was 17.

Mack Rutherford is the youngest person to fly solo around the world. Photo: AFP
Mack Rutherford is the youngest person to fly solo around the world. Photo: AFP

Millaray Jara Collio

This talented 17-year-old rapper from Chile has been using her music to speak out against how the police are hurting youth who are Mapuche, the largest indigenous community in the South American country. This group has been fighting to get back their ancestral lands which were stolen.

Since she was five, Millaray has been writing powerful lyrics. Now, she uses social media to tell people about the violence her community faces.

Millaray Jara Collio is a rapper from Chile. Photo: Instagram/@mcmillaray_oficial
Millaray Jara Collio is a rapper from Chile. Photo: Instagram/@mcmillaray_oficial

Sophie Cruz

When Sophie was just five years old, she caught the world’s attention by giving a letter to the Pope, asking him to protect undocumented immigrants. Her parents left their home in Mexico in hopes of working towards a better life in the United States.

Eight years later, Sophie has continued to be a strong advocate for immigrant rights. She has met a former US president, spoken at marches, and was even in a documentary called Free Like The Birds.

Pope Francis reaches for a letter and T-shirt from Sophie Cruz, during a parade in Washington. Photo: AP
Pope Francis reaches for a letter and T-shirt from Sophie Cruz, during a parade in Washington. Photo: AP

Find the words in the puzzle below to test your understanding of the vocabulary in this story.

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Enjoy the audio version of this article!
Think about it

What impact do you want to make on the world?

indigenous
當地/本土

naturally existing in a place or country

innovator
創新者

someone who introduces changes and new ideas

transgender
跨性別

used to describe someone whose gender does not match what they were assigned when they were born

underestimate
低估

to fail to guess the real cost, size, difficulty, etc. of something