Changing the world sounds like an arduous task that almost seems impossible to achieve. However, making an impact on society has nothing to do with the amounts of money or advantages one might have; changing the world is an effort anyone is capable of. Whether it’s as simple as a compliment to a stranger on the street, or picking up waste in your neighborhood. What matters most is compassion, courage, and determination. Here are some teens making a difference or have already made a difference to the world.. 

Mikaila Ulmer  

After being stung by a bee, twice, Mikaila grew fascinated with them. Ulmer said, “I learned all about what they do for me and the ecosystem. So then I thought, what if I make something that helps honeybees and uses my Great Granny Helen’s recipe. That’s how Me & the Bees Lemonade was born”. According to the Independent Youth, Ulmer’s BeeSweet Lemonade is an award-winning natural lemonade with flaxseed and sweetened with honey. Mikaila Ulmer is now 15 years old. 

Cassandra Lin

Due to the human consumption of fossil fuels increasing the issue of climate change, Cassandra Lin wanted to spark a change. She stated, “We were burning so much coal and oil that our world was, and is, literally heating up. Of course, as a young girl in this big world, I was absolutely horrified.” Lin even gathered some of her classmates to action. She promised that she would try as hard as she could to make a difference. She continued, “What could we, eight ten-year-olds, do to help solve this issue?[…]we visited the Energy Solutions Expo at the University of RI, where we found that biodiesel could be produced from waste cooking oil.[…] This solution became Project TGIF – Turn Grease Into Fuel.” Cassandra did this at 14 years old.

Nicholas Lowinger

Thanks to Nicholas Lowinger starting the Gotta Have Sole foundation at 17 years old, thousands of homeless children won’t have to worry about fitting in. “Nicholas Lowinger remembers a teenage boy and girl who had to share a pair of shoes so they could take turns going to school every other day. The shared pair was a sparkly, pink pair of girls shoes that caused unending embarrassment for the boy.” Lowinger project now provides footwear to many unfortunate children in homeless shelters. 

Xiuhtezcatl Roske-Martinez

Back in 2015, Xiuhtezactl Roske-Martinez delivered an impactful speech at the United Nation in an attempt to take action on Climate Change. He also founded an organization called Earth Guardians that he is the youth director of. According to complex.com, they stated, “He’s also taking his activism to court: he’s one of 21 people who have sued the federal government and Donald Trump for failing to act on climate change”. 

Melati and Isabel Wijsen

These two sisters were only 10 to 12 years old (now 15 and 17) when they began their movement Bye-Bye Plastic Bags, yet seemed to be working harder than most adults today. The Wijsen sisters are two sisters from Bali who noticed all the plastic bags and waste that were scattered almost everywhere in their community: “[…]Isabel and Melati Wijsen hated seeing bags and other trash in their beautiful island of Bali–on beaches, the ocean, forests, everywhere” An article from New Moon Girls stated. One day, they gathered up all the courage they had and began a children empowered movement called Bye-Bye Plastic Bags. Their goal then and now is to ban the harmful use of plastic bags. Bye-Bye Plastic Bags brings awareness to the damaging effects of plastic bags, not only to Bali but to the world too.

In the end, changing the world is not as back-breaking or onerous as it sounds. Sometimes, the simplicity of supporting people who are making a difference is almost the same as taking action or being in charge of a movement. Valiance is what drives people to speak up, and everyone is capable of speaking up given the platforms we have today. In modern technology, communication is easy and accessible. One post, one tweet, one phone call, and one video is enough to speak up and say something about what you believe. You don’t even have to be an adult.