Author: Melina S. Farahmand

Like a Phoenix, continue to
rise from beneath the ashes,
with the magic that lies within
and take that power to shatter
every glass ceiling and create healing
Within a nation that is too busy grieving instead of dreaming, we are pleading with you,
To rise into the fire filled sky
with your wings created by kings —
Rise like the Phoenix, trailblazer.

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 Global Action Week for Education.

Melina Farahmand is a 21-year-old author, activist, filmmaker, and storyteller from California, U.S. At twelve years of age, she founded Past Present Future Co., a news and media entity to educate, inspire, and cultivate a world in which women’s empowerment and sustainability issues are debated and discussed. Through a vibrant conversation of the relevant problems of the day, Melina believes people can bring about change in their communities.