Opinion: Amanda Gorman makes her mark on the world

Dreams. We all have them.

Some aspire to be astronauts, while others wish to explore unknown parts of the globe and discover groundbreaking things. These dreamers grow up to become heroes such as doctors and nurses, or teachers and parents. They come in all shapes and sizes with one common goal of changing the world for the better.

When the Biden-Harris Administration was sworn into office Jan. 20, we were introduced to yet another one of these dreamers: Amanda Gorman.

Amanda Gorman reminded people all over the world that you are never too young to chase after your dreams and make a difference.

As the youngest inaugural poet in U.S. History, the 22-year-old left a lasting impression on not only her audience in the crowd that sat below her but also for every citizen across the globe that watched her performance reciting her poem, “The Hill We Climb” online.

According to CBS, in order to cope with a speech impediment, Gorman began to practice writing as a young girl. She recognized her love for writing, and as her talent continued to shine, she joined a non-profit known as WriteGirl, where she was given the opportunity to help young girls practice creative writing.

According to CNBC, Gorman had only just begun to leave her mark on the world as by age 16 she was named the Youth Poet Laureate of Los Angeles. Furthermore, Gorman went on to study at Harvard University, where she continued to reach for her full potential and was named as the first National Youth Poet Laureate.

Gorman explained to the New York Times her belief of the power poetry can hold and how desperate our country needs it.

“Now more than ever, the United States needs an inaugural poem. Poetry is typically the touchstone that we go back to when we have to remind ourselves of the history that we stand on, and the future that we stand for,” Gorman said to the New York Times.

Additionally, Gorman received praise from political figures all over the country, including former President Barack Obama.

“On a day for the history books, [Amanda Gorman] delivered a poem that more than met the moment. Young people like her are proof that ‘there is always light, if only we’re brave enough to see it; if only we’re brave enough to be it,” Obama tweeted.

Amanda Gorman has not only touched the lives of so many but has inspired others to follow their dreams. As an inspiration for all young women and men across the country, we most definitely have not seen the last of her.