Mendham, NJ- The summer after graduating from high school, Maggie went backpacking in Asia and decided to never come back. Moved by the many orphans she met in Nepal, she used her life savings to buy an acre of land build a children’s home. She currently cares for 25 kids and has helped find families for over 700 orphans. Her next plan: build them a school.

Nashville, TN-At 19, Marvelyn thought that when her “prince charming” said he didn’t want to use a condom, it meant he really loved her. Three weeks later, she tested positive for HIV. She was shunned by her community, and her mother even suggested she lie and say she had cancer. Instead of hiding, Marvelyn chose to tell her story. She has spoken to more than half a million people worldwide, urging them to always protect themselves and get tested.

Weston, CT- At 16, David wished more young people voted in the 2004 election. He vowed to change that in 2008 by launching “18 in ’08.” First he made a film. Then he took it across the country and held screenings with politicians and activists. He even registered 25,000 new voters. The election may be over, but David is still making politics a part of young people’s lives.

Boulder, CO-When Eric was 17, a trip to Uganda changed his life. He wanted to help the community so he founded Educate! to train leaders in Africa. Today he is empowering 415 scholars through a two-year program on leading social change. His students have impacted over 9,600 people through their locally-grown community initiatives.

Darius Weems, 19

Darius Goes West

Athens, GA-Darius was born with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD), a genetic disorder that claimed the life of his older brother. Knowing the rest of his life would be spent in a wheelchair, Darius and friends drove from small-town Georgia to California, hoping to convince West Coast Customs to Pimp his Ride. They decided to film their trip and made a film called “Darius Goes West.” To date, Darius has raised almost 2 million dollars for DMD research, and traveled over 100,000 miles educating Americans about his cause.