Society is changing around us now more than ever. It is time we change with it. Standing here now I look into the past through the documents, articles, books, novels and stories of the history of humanity and see men and women my age who made a difference.

I wonder… Why did groups follow Gandhi in his protests. How did Lincoln lead a country at war with itself? What made Susan B. Anthony see the inequalities if gender? Why is one of the most famous speeches in history King’s “I Have A Dream” which he delivered at the feet of the Lincoln Memorial.

Most of all I wonder how? How did ordinary people change the course of history. It had nothing to with education, status, money or power. No- they used their voice. A voice is all we have once everything else has been stripped away. A single voice can rouse an army, inspire a cause and make a difference in a nation.

My name is Emma, and I aspire to be a leader like the people who shaped nations and changed humanity for the better.