1. Zendaya

I first was introduced to Zendaya when I was in grade school while watching Disney channel. She was on the show "Shake It Up" and it quickly became one of my favorites. Then came the movie "Zapped" and then her music and I quickly became a fan of that. There was just something about her that I was drawn to. I even watched her show "K.C. Undercover" until I was a junior in high school. She always kept her characters so real and relatable and not fake like so many other shows.

I read something last year on Teen Vogue that said she made a list of demands for the show "K.C. Undercover" before she signed to the show. Zendaya wanted to play a normal girl with social awkwardness and was smart because there are other things that a girl can be besides a dancer or singer.

In 2017 she used her speech at the Teen Choice Awards to tell people that they have a voice and they can use it. That's powerful. By using her few minutes on stage she empowered millions of young people to speak out against injustice and stand up for the things that they believe to be right. That's another thing I like about her, she doesn't tell her fans what to believe, think, or feel. She wants everyone to be their totally genuine self and that's so admirable to tell someone to be who they are and then still respect them even if you disagree.

2. Lecrae

I first found out about Lecrae when I was at Lifest one summer and saw a stack of his CD albums, "Church Clothes". I thought "Wow this dude looks cool." I bought one and listened to it on repeat for days. I finally looked him up because I wanted to know what his story was and what I found was so incredibly powerful. I was drawn to him instantly because he was so real with his lyrics and everything he stood for and believed in.

The newest album of his is very different, "Let The Trap Say Amen". Every song and every single verse, he speaks his truth and that's the bravest thing out there these days. He portrays his faith in God in a way that is so different from anything I've seen before. He doesn't say the things Christians want to hear to feel good about themselves but instead, he says the hard things that matter and the things that need to change.

Last year he spoke on how politicians try to reach different groups by using different tactics and that politicians don't really know what a true Christian wants in someone to lead the country. He stated that the word "Christian" is so stereotyped when it comes to politics, and he also mentioned how society can't let him care about the black community without labeling him as someone who hates other races.

He has brought a lot of awareness to different issues that most Christians want to stay away from into view. He wants to bring justice back into the conversation and take action about the things of the world that matter.

3. Mari Copeny 

This girl is absolutely incredible. I first heard about her when I was on Twitter one day this summer and saw her involvement with the Flint, Michigan water crisis. I didn't know anything about her but the more I read, the more I was amazed. This 11 year old girl is doing more for her city than most people do in their lifetime.

While she's more of a celebrity in her city, her activism is becoming known across the country with her social media pages. She's delivered so much water and raised so much money for the residents of Flint which has all been non-profit. She's showing the world that it doesn't matter what someone's age is, they can still make a positive impact and help others around them in a practical way.

4. Emma Watson

So many people get turned off by the word "feminism." Something I've learned more by research is that it isn't supposed to be women hating men. What it is, is women standing together to become heard and to fight for equality, while fighting injustice and including men and also educating everyone on the subject of feminism. That's what it is. It isn't women banding together to try to push men out of positions of authority and it's not women fighting to run things and teach other women to treat men without respect.

Emma Watson is a huge advocate for feminism and she's spreading awareness all around the world to men and women on the subject of feminism. The real definition of it. She has started a campaign called HeForShe to educate men on the importance of protecting and standing up for women. The movement is in favor of ending child marriages, challenging gender stereotypes, and redefines masculinity.

She has taken her platform and transformed it into something so positive and influential in a way to educate people of all backgrounds to take a stand protecting minorities and paving a path for future generations to take a stand for what they believe in.