On March 6, Bill Clinton, accompanied by several young leaders came to Miami to reach out to the youth about bettering the community. Bill Clinton’s organization, The Clinton Foundation, is meant to tackle environmental and social issues like deforestation and women’s education, respectively.

The presentation hosted by Bill Clinton started off with the introduction of five young people who have made a positive impact in the world. One of the entrepreneurs welcomed on stage started a project that reminded mothers in developing countries when they had to get vaccinations for their child; this simple project has in fact saved thousands of lives.

“The whole Bill Clinton presentation was really cool; I liked how there were people who spoke about the struggles they faced as a kid, and how they used their past to change the world for the better. I hope that one day I will be able to help people out across the globe as well,” sophomore Libertad Robledo said.

As the presentation continued, several noteworthy people such as the first female Arab Nobel Peace Prize winner Tawakkol Karman and popular actress America Ferrera, came on stage. Each person spoke about his or her lifelong struggles, learning to turn the negative into the positive. For example, Karman protested against the inequality of women and human rights in Yemen, and she was targeted and thrown in jail. However, Karman did not give up on her vision and she eventually started a revolution and subsequently was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Then, famous actress America Ferrera addressed the struggles she faced as an immigrant child, and how she is now an activist for women empowerment- particularly for young hispanic girls.

“I think it’s really awesome how we, as students, have so much power in our hands. The fact that our voices can influence others, and possibly save lives is overwhelming and should definitely be put to good use! All my life I’ve been told that I’m too young to do this or too young to do that, but knowing that I have the power to change the world is pretty great,” junior Dayana Martinez said.

As the lecture concluded, Former President Bill Clinton emphasized the importance of youth initiative. If the younger generation focuses on changing the injustices in the world, the future will be better for the coming generations. Simply raising awareness on issues like women’s safety and healthcare can make a significant impact on the world, and we as students have the power to do just that.