At age 10 in 1992, Iqbal and other kids defied their owners and attended the Bonded Labor Liberation Front's (BLLF) Freedom Day celebration. He learned that it was illegal to enslave kids and that the law was seldom enforced. Iqbal gave an impromptu speech at that meeting which was published in local newspapers. Soon afterward, the BLLF helped Iqbal gain his freedom and then provided his schooling. Wanting to become a lawyer, Iqbal said, "My dream is to end child labor for all the children of the world."

At age 12 in 1994, he traveled throughout the U.S. and Europe as a BLLF spokesperson, calling for an end to child labor and a boycott of Pakistan's carpet industry. He became known worldwide for his efforts and achievements. That year he was honored with Reebok's Youth in Action Award.

Iqbal's bravery helped to free many kids, but speaking out cost him his life. One Easter Sunday, April 16, 1995, while riding a bike near his home, 12-year-old Iqbal was shot and killed by an unknown assailant.

Students of Broad Meadows Middle School in Quincy, Massachusetts, where Iqbal had spoken, were shocked and outraged. In his memory, they launched a fundraising campaign requesting symbolic $12 donations. They raised over $150,000 for a Pakistani school which was opened in 1997 and named in Iqbal's honor.

Merrick started mountain climbing at age 5, while working as a guide for her mom's mountain climbing company. The climbing adventures she heard, stimulated Merrick to "think about the things I may be able to accomplish someday."

At 8, having grown up with two older brothers, she realized that "the boys I hung out with thought they were natually better athletes than the girls they knew. This fired up my competitive spirit. I wanted to prove girls can do anything."

At 9, learning that a famous mountaineer had reached the summit of Mt. McKinley inspired Merrick to follow in the same footsteps. After two years of trying to convince her mom, Merrick was finally allowed to attempt "The High One" as Mt. McKinely is called. Wanting to surpass the boy who had set the age record earlied, Merrick explained, "I was determined to become the youngest person to accomplish the feat."

Merrick knew the climb would be one of her biggest challenges ever. She felt physically strong, since she had spent much of her life skiing, snowboarding, hiking, canoeing, and rafting. She was also a gymnast, ran track, and played soccer. "But it's not just fitness that counts when climbing," she explained. "You must also have excellent mountaineering skills." This meant facing life-threatening situations for herself and her team.

To prepare for the expedition, Merrick, wearing a 50 pound backpack, trained daily with her mom. They scaled smaller peaks, to test and increase their high-altitude and cold-weather endurance. Merrick changed her original focus on breaking a record to simply enjoying the adventure. "I also decided the climb shouldn't just be about me," she explained. "So, I collected pledges to raise money for a wellness and child-abuse-prevention center in Anchorage. The higher I climbed, the more money I raised for a good cause." It eventually totaled nearly $4,000.

After her record-breaking climb, Merrick gave inspirational speeches to school students. She encouraged them to take advantage of the world that surrounds them and not take for granted what's right outside their backdoor.

Kelly and her parents contacted State Senator Mary Small who offered to work with the Attorney General's Office to draft a bill allowing third-party, non-profit organizations to fundraise. Kelly also started a campaign educating legislators and the public about the current law and why it needed to be changed. Her story was published in newspapers across the country. She spoke on radio and TV, was featured on Paul Harvey News and on the cover of Weekly Reader. MeVAD was flooded with letters from kids and offers to help.

In 2002, Kelly testified before the Criminal Justice Committee in a hearing room filled with supporters and the media. The Committee voted unanimously in support of the bill, but the fight wasn't over. A number of legislators stood against the bill saying that it would let anyone do fundraising for the police. Kelly and her supporters wrote hundreds of letters. Then local K-9 teams rallied behind her at the State House. After 8 months of hard work, the legislature passed the bill. It was signed into law at Governor King's office. Police dog Sarge gave his seal of approval with a paw print.

Whenever Kelly sees a K-9 team on the local news, she knows that they are better protected because of her efforts. She says, "That makes all the work worthwhile. I plan to continue working until all of Maine's 60 police dogs are protected."

Jaleel's acting career started at age 3, when his preschool teacher, noticing Jaleel had a special knack for showing off, urged his parents to get him into show business. Jaleel was then enrolled in a Hollywood theatrical school where an agent spotted his unusual talents. Numerous auditions later, Jaleel landed a series of TV commercials and his first TV sitcom appearance on The Jeffersons. His incredible comic talent earned him a role on the TV sitcom Charlie and Company. He then appeared in a few TV movies before landing the role of Urkel, which he said "was a simple call." He explained, "Carl [another actor in the show] wanted someone to take Laura to the dance, and I got the part." Originally the role was intended to be a one time, guest spot, but it worked so well that Jaleel was immediately written into the show as a cast member.

"A lot of people think that kids on TV lead glamorous lives with limousines and all, but that's not the case," he explained. On a typical day, Jaleel spent 6-9 hours at the studio, 4 hours being tutored in academic subjects, and 2 additional hours studying to maintain his honor-roll status. "When I go back to school, I'm treated like all the other kids."

Jaleel didn't consider himself a star, because he didn't drive a fancy car or live in a 20-room mansion. "My mother never even told me for years how much money I was making. I'm an employed actor. For that, thanks, fans!"