By SarahAnne Nigra, 21, She’s the First Youth Ambassador

You can try to take my freedom

My decisions

Strip me from my innocence

Destroy property that doesn’t belong to you

Wipe my dreams with your words

Remove my power

Leave me feeling helpless

Push the standards society has set for girls like me

Tie me down with restrictions

And critique my every move

But the most powerful thing I have is my voice and knowledge

It might get silenced from your ignorance

But you cannot take that

My mind and intelligence will never be yours to take

That will stay even when you try to put me in a box I will find my way out

Every obstacle I encounter I am freed from because I am in charge when it comes to

My education

My dreams

My goals

The knowledge I carry

I will be heard

You can try to take what’s not yours but my mind will always win.

This is a never ending battle

but the willpower I’ve gained from walking out of the impossible cannot ever be

broken

It will not be easy but it is my path

And my voice and decisions will not only be listened to but heard

An educated and respected woman I will always be even when the odds are not in my

favor.

A girl with an education is unstoppable—but barriers like gender discrimination, poverty, and exploitation prevent many girls from reaching graduation. Our Youth Ambassadors created the Power of Poetry campaign to amplify girls' voices about this issue for Poetry Month and the the Global Action Week for Education.

SarahAnne Nigra is a 21-year-old college student who is working toward becoming a psychologist. Outside of her schoolwork, she is a model who loves writing poetry, horseback riding, and volunteering at her local stable. She is also a Youth Ambasssador for She’s the First. “Girls’ rights to me means all girls should have a voice and it should be heard.”