Poet Amanda Gorman believes words are powerful. She isn’t afraid to use her talent to call out injustice and fight for what she believes is right.

When she was young, Amanda had a speech impediment. But instead of letting it hold her back, it helped her CLIMB to new heights with her reading and writing skills. She fell in love with poetry at an early age when she realized how words can affect people emotionally. She wrote throughout her childhood and at age 16, Amanda was named the Youth Poet Laureate of Los Angeles.

The entire world took notice of Amanda on January 20th, 2021. At 22 years old, she commanded respect and attention as President Biden’s inaugural poet. The poem she shared, “The Hill We Climb,” was only written a few weeks earlier. But she had worked toward this moment for years. Amanda set a goal six years before to write a poem that was worthy of a Presidential inauguration. She believed she could do it and was willing to put in the work to CLIMB to the top of the list of American poets.

Amanda experiences stage fright before her performances, but it’s hard to tell. Her bravery and belief in herself are what shine as soon as she steps into the spotlight. She is the perfect example of one of her most famous quotes, “For there is always light, if only we’re brave enough to see it. If only we’re brave enough to be it.”