Greta Thunberg, Willy Connelly, Salma Paralluelo or Leonel Virosta, are some very clear examples that our teenagers do more than play with game consoles or chat on social networks.
We tell you why these young people excite us and make us believe that a better world is possible. Because in our hands and those of our children is our future. And if you had any doubts, they can improve it and they are doing it.
Álvaro Sánchez, a teenager from Zaragoza, talked to us on his YouTube channel about the outdated teaching model. And it also gave us the keys to improve it. Tanner Wilson is a high school student who has been saving for years to buy a motorized wheelchair from his friend.
And they are just two examples of boys with a good heart and who want to improve the world in which they live. Although there are many more anonymous guys, even in our own home. Here are not all teenagers who make a difference, but those who appear have earned their place on the list.
Salma Paralluelo, a record athlete
That a child stands out in a sport is a pride for any parent, but that they also dispute it in two disciplines as diverse as women's football and athletics, is almost incredible, although possible.
With a Spanish father and a Guinean mother, this young 15-year-old from Zaragoza is a world champion with the Spanish U17 soccer team and breaks speed records, wherever she goes. Spain's U-20 record in the 400 m athletics test, ranks fourth in the U18 world ranking of the year, behind three Americans, and is the second youngest athlete in history to participate in absolute Europeans Of athletics.
Salma Paralluelo divides her precocious sports career between two loves, football and athletics, and for the moment she doesn't want to leave any, even if that means not stopping: she gets up at 4.30 to study and do homework, returns from class at 15.00 to Eat and get going again at five. Monday, Wednesday and Friday he trains with Zaragoza, leader of the second women's division; Tuesday and Thursday he plays athletics.
"It is very hard to combine football and athletics but they are sports that I enjoy very much. Until I have very clear I will continue with both, because I love them both. I understand that they always ask me which one I choose, but I remain focused", Salma explained to Marca.
And as he goes, he will surely give us more than one and two sports joys. We will have to be very aware.
Greta Thunberg, leader of climate change activism
This Swedish teenager needs few letters of introduction, because she has been occupying covers and opening information for months. With only 16 years and Asperger syndrome, he has become a very strong voice in climate activism.
It all started in August 2018, when he decided to miss school and sit alone every Friday with a handwritten banner in front of the Swedish Parliament headquarters in Stockholm with the message: "Strike against climate change".
Little by little other young people joined, and Today, more than one million children and adolescents in more than 100 countries, second the school strikes for climate change.
In addition, his powerful message took full attention at the World Economic Forum in Davos 2019, stating that: "Since our leaders are behaving like children, we will have to assume the responsibility they should have taken a long time ago. Our house is on fire. I am here to tell you that our home is burning."
But his fight seems to have only just begun: he has met with the Pope, he has spoken to the European Parliament, and he has met with leaders of different political sectors in the British Parliament in London (moment he immortalized in his twitter account with the photo we publish of her).
And, most recently, a tour of Europe taking advantage of Easter vacations, as he collects on his Instagram account, traveling with his already famous protest poster.
Now awaits two days of train travel. Next stop London
Hailey Fort, the girl friend of the poor
It captured our attention four years ago. He was only nine and had almost half of his life helping the needy.
He says he was five years old and was walking with his mother in the streets of Washington when he noticed a homeless man. He asked his mother if he could help and, since then, in his spare time, build mobile wooden shelters so that poor people can sleep indoors.
But not only that. It is also dedicated to gardening to provide them with food and collect warm clothes and personal and feminine hygiene products.
Although in 2016 her mother posted a note on Hailey's Facebook page apologizing for her daughter's inactivity due to health problems, it is seen that the child does not stop thinking about others and continues with her projects.
On his Facebook page you can follow the steps he takes to achieve more housing for the most disadvantaged, such as talking with senators who can support his cause or with bags full of coats for the poorest children.
Its cause has a campaign in GoFundMe and solidarity purchase in Amazon.
Will Connolly, the face of anti-racism
Photo: Will Connolly Instagram This 17-year-old Australian has become a global 'hero' of the fight against racism thanks to the egg he threw at the xenophobic senator of his country, Fraser Anning, on March 15. His cell phone and television captured the moment when the egg crashed into the politician's crown while he blamed the immigrants for the attack that killed 49 Muslims that day in two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand.
This is Will Connolly's post on his twitter account capturing 'the huevazo' where he sends this message: "Muslims are not terrorists and terrorism has no religion. Everyone who considers Muslims a terrorist community has heads as empty as Anning".
This was the moment when I felt so proud to exist as a human being. Let me inform you all guys, Muslims are not terrorists and terrorism has no religion. All those who consider Muslims a terrorist community, have empty heads like Anning. #EggBoy #eggAnning pic.twitter.com/MJ8A3K6zlT
- Will Connolly (@willxconnolly) March 18, 2019
The new face, baptized as 'Egg Boy', has begun to appear on posters and graffiti claiming worldwide, and the dollars come to the account of 'Gofundme' that opened an admirer to pay for his legal defense, and that he has donated to the victims of the attack.
You have recognized in your Instagram account that "What I did was not good, but that egg has united people". One more example that only a young man can make a difference in the injustices that occur in the world.
To my family, friends and people around the world, I would like to thank everyone for all the overwhelming support. Im so proud to stand for what is right and I encourage everyone to stand up for what you all believe in. I do not condone violence and I do not condone egging someone, and everyone has a right to an opinion, but as I listened to Senator Anning for over an hour, I realized a point had to be made and if no one was going to do anything, then I was. Im so humbled to be able to shed more light in response to the Christchurch shootings. My heart goes out to all who are suffering. I've had one lady from Christchurch tell me that through this period of darkness in her life, its the first time shes smiled since the shootings, which meant so much to me. The main focus here has to be the people who are suffering and the issue at hand, and Im really happy it has united people the way it has. I will continue to try and make the world a better place and I hope the end of racism is on the horizon. Keep spreading the love. Will Connolly
Thomas Suarez, an early programming genius
He finishes turning 19, but he started programming with nine years and has been in the spotlight since he was 12. This young application developer has given several talks in different parts of the world and is one of the most promising talents in the internet world.
In the TED talk, when he was only 12 years old, he already explains all the apps he has made with a certainty that few teenagers have at that age.
In fact, there is talk of Thomas Suárez, a student of Computer Science at Georgia Tech, as the next Steve Jobs. We will have to wait to see what happens.
For now, just reading your resume leaves you with your mouth open.
Jazz Jennings, transgender activist
This born fighter from the United States is 18 years old and from the age of five, in which she already made it clear to her parents that she was a girl, not a boy, she has become an icon of a transgender girl and teenager, by telling the world to through social networks the steps taken to support young people who go through the same transition.
His story has served to give visibility to trans minors, from his Instragram account (where he has more than 825,000 followers), on television programs or on his YouTube channel.
But his initiatives have gone further: he starred in a series focused on his life 'I'm Jazz', published a memoir and created a foundation to support teenagers in his situation: ThansKids Purple Rainbow Foundation. It even served as inspiration for the manufacture of the first transgender doll, which bears his name.
No one can deny that she is brave, a fighter, has a good heart and is an example for other young people.
Amika George, against the 'poverty of the period'
This young English woman was only 17 years old when she learned that a UK NGO had sent female health products to schools in the city of Leed, because there were girls who had to stay at home on the days they had menstruation because they couldn't pay pads and tampons
He decided to found #FreePeriods (Free Periods, in Spanish) and in December 2017 he organized a protest in front of the residence of the British Prime Minister, where 2,000 people demanded that the government do something against what Amika called "period poverty."
And the pressure arose effect. On March 9, Amika shared the good news on her twitter account: the British government would finance free health products in all English schools.
WE DID IT !!!!! 271,000 of you signed the petition, 2,000 of you protested. Today, the government has just pledged to end #periodpoverty by pledging FREE MENSTRUAL PRODUCTS in all secondary schools! #FreePeriods ♥ ️ //t.co/dNx2GR1PEX
- Amika George (@AmikaGeorge) March 9, 2019
It is a good example of the political impact that a teenager can have in the desire to fight for what she thinks is fair.
His TED talk on the subject with only 17 years, leaves us with his mouth open. Amika George challenges us to think about the normality of the rule for us and calls us to fight against poverty in schools.
Leonel Virosta, a prodigy biologist example of 'homeschooling'
Photo: TEDs Talks At age six he was recognized as a high-capacity student with intellectual giftedness, and from the age of ten he trained at home with the help of his parents and outside the classroom. This decision caused him not to be admitted to the Complutense University to study Biochemistry, but in return he was awarded a scholarship by the British Council to study at the University of Manchester, where he is today.
But what really motivates Leonel Virosta, who is now 19 years old, is to share his passion for biology on his YouTube channel, since he himself is the result of having formed through educational videos in this video channel. In 'Flip Your Learning', which opened more than three years ago and has more than 62,000 subscribers worldwide, explains that he decided to do it because he believes that "It takes a change in the way of learning, and that will not come from the system, but it has to come from each of us: students and teachers."
Self-taught and curious, Leonel knows that because of his abilities and the choices of his family he is a different young man, but thanks his parents for not forcing his conformity to common forms although that would have allowed him to continue studying within the Spanish education system. Today, from Manchester, he keeps intact his dream of becoming a scientist and his idea of sharing knowledge.
Here is an example of his master classes on his YouTube channel 'Flip Your Learning'.
Gitanjali Rao, best young scientist in the United States
In 2018, this twelve-year-old girl was named the best young scientist in the United States, thanks to the invention of a device that will help save lives.
This is a lead detector that occurred to Gitanjali when he saw in the news that in the city of Flint, Michigan, its inhabitants had been consuming lead-contaminated water for two years because of a change in supply.
So the little girl, as she explained to BBC News, wondered "Why was that happening if everyone should be entitled to drinking water?", Thinking of "all those children my age who were exposed to the poison every day just by using a resource like water every day."
So designed tethys (named for the Greek goddess of freshwater and mother of the rivers), a portable device that uses carbon nanotubes to measure lead. The detector incorporates a sensor connected via bluetooth to a mobile application that offers an accurate and almost immediate analysis of water.
He acknowledges that when he grows up he wants to be a geneticist or epidemiologist, to continue helping to solve people's problems through science and technology, but he is still working on his invention. Surely he achieves what he intends, I see how he thinks: “If you have an idea, pursue it. And if you fail, try again. ”
Emma González, gun control activist
'Never again' (Never again) is the name of the group founded by young people to promote gun control, which emerged after the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas American High School in Parkland, Florida, where 17 young people died.
Emma González was one of the surviving teenagers that February 2018 and one of the promoters of the national campaign that was born after this tragedy, to try to end violence with firearms.
His leadership became more noticeable in 'March for our lives' (March for our lives in Spanish), held the following month in Washington DC. He addressed the hundreds of thousands of people gathered there to demand arms control, with a really inspiring speech of just over six minutes. Of them, four (the duration of the shooting) were a defiant silence as a tribute to his teammates, once he had read all their names.
His boldness has earned him the target of personal attacks. But it was worth it, although he still has a long way to go: Florida passed after the protest 'the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act', which The age to buy a firearm increased from 18 to 21 years.
We are left with the legend that heads your Instagram account: "Emma is my name, arms reform, our game" (Emma's the name, gun reform's our game "), where we took your picture.
couldnt take any pictures inside, went to meet with Steve King (gave him several days notice) he wasnt there, his aid couldnt answer any of our questions, kicked us out of Mr Kings office when she didnt want to talk to us anymore, and wouldnt allow any Iowa Residents to talk to her. Ill talk with Mr King about his supporting the confederate flag if I ever meet him in person #CubanPride
Savva Osipov, designer of a rotating portable console
This 14-year-old teenager is a worthy son of Ilya Osipov, his father, a well-known technology entrepreneur, gamification expert, founder of some of the biggest web projects and a regular contributor to specialized media. They live in Silicon Valley, United States.
And Savva seems willing to overcome his achievements. At an age at which most boys think only of music, clothing and video games, he is an advanced software developer and an ingenious inventor who claims to have designed the first portable video game console that can be turned on as if it were a cube of Rubik so that your content changes.
WOWCube consists of eight small cubes. Each of them is a computer with three screens and connected to each other in order to communicate. The games will be available through an application in the Apple Store and thanks to an open API anyone can program and launch their own developments.
At the moment, as Savva has in its social networks, the prototype is receiving good reviews at the fairs in which they are presenting it, so it can be commercialized shortly.
You can know more about this child prodigy and his invention on his YouTube channel. and in the video that Vodafone created about him.
Photos | iStock and social networks
