Amanda Gorman (Pictured with Hillary Clinton)
Amanda Gorman, a 19-year-old Harvard University sophomore is the United States’ first National Youth Poet Laureate. Gorman was reportedly named America’s Inaugural Youth Poet Laureate in April, 2017 by the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C.
While growing up Amanda Gorman struggled with a hearing impairment and speech impediment but it was never going to hinder her from becoming the poet, activist, author and brand ambassador that she is today.
Gorman is the first youth to become Youth Poet Laureate of Los Angeles, prior to her becoming the Inaugural Youth Poet Laureate of the West (Western USA). The OZY Genius Award winner was subsequently brought to the attention of Michelle Obama and now, Gorman is a HERLead Ambassador for Vital Voices, a global women network founded by Hillary Clinton.
Amanda Gorman, according to the New York Times, “writes poetry with a cleareyed mix of autobiography, social issues and historical motifs”. She read her poem ‘An American Lyric’ at the inaugural reading of her friend, Poet Laureate Tracy K. Smith, at the Library of Congress — the first time a youth poet ever opened for a Library of Congress Poet Laureate Consultant.
Gorman’s 1Pen1Page organization helps “students storytellers to change the world”. Despite all of her achievements at such a young age, Amanda Gorman told the New York Times that she would love to run for the office of the President of the United States (POTUS) someday. In fact, her Instagram bio reads “President 2036” and she wants you to “put that in your iCloud calendar”.
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