25 young people making noise for social progress

Mari Copeny

Amariyanna “Mari” Copeny first made waves back in 2016 when she convinced then President Barack Obama to visit Flint, Michigan amidst the water crisis.

Copeny, or “Little Miss Flint,” wrote Obama a letter when she was just 8 years old asking if she could visit him and Michelle Obama while she was in Washington D.C. to attend the congressional hearings on the Flint water crisis.

Copeny wasn’t able to meet the president during her trip, but Obama went to visit her instead. And as soon as Copeny saw the president, she ran right into his arms. It was absolutely heartwarming. But this wasn’t just an adorable photo-op. Little Miss Flint gets things done.

Ever since her famous meeting with Obama, Little Miss Flint has become a vocal clean water activist. Just this month, Copeny, who’s now 10, raised over $27,000 for bottled water for Flint residents, who are still being affected by the water crisis, after the Governor of Michigan said that the free water distributions would be suspended.

And that’s not all Copeny has done. She also raised $18,000 to throw a Christmas party for Flint kids, got over 1,000 copies of A Wrinkle in Time for Flint kids, created a “Don’t Forget Flint” T-shirt campaign to raise money, set up a Black Panther screening, became a youth ambassador at the Women’s March, met Donald Trump, and more.

Copeny has said she wants to be president when she grows up and I think she’d be a great one. Until then, though, she will fight for kids in and out of Flint to get clean water.