The Kids Hall of Fame Inductees
18-Year-Old Extraordinary Achievers
ACTIVIST: GUN CONTROL
David Hogg is a gun control activist and co-founder of America’s March For Our Lives movement. David is a student survivor of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting of February 14, 2018, perpetrated by a 19-year-old former student of the school, armed with a semi-automatic rifle. In less than six minutes, 17 people were killed and 17 others were wounded.
(Parkland, Florida: 2018)
Illustrated by Hannah Umali
ACTIVIST: VOTER REGISTRATION
Yara Shahidi created Eighteen x 18 (also called WeVoteNext) on social media to help teens understand specific political issues and the importance of voting. She celebrated her 18th birthday by hosting a Register to Vote Party.
(Minneapolis, Minnesota: 2018)
Illustrated by Alexandra Holliday
ACTOR / ACTRESS
Daniel Radcliffe played the role of 15-year-old Harry Potter in the film Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, based on J. K. Rowling’s book. The film was released in 2007.
(London, England: 2007)
Illustrated by Callie Clinch
ACTOR / ACTRESS
Storm Reid played the role of Tyla DuBois in the film The Suicide Squad.
(Los Angeles, California: 2021)
ACTOR / ACTRESS
Iman Vellani began filming the first season of Ms. Marvel, for which she played the star role.
(Canada: 2021)
Illustrated by Jake Reher
ADVOCATE: UNICEF
YOUTH ADVOCATES FOR UNICEF
Saeed bin Omar Almutaiwei (United Arab Emirates: 2021)
Joey Chen (Osprey, Florida: 2021)
Maria Vitória “Marvi” da Costa Borges
(Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste: 2019)
Beth Doherty (Ireland: 2021)
Nabiha Kassim (Tanzania: 2021)
Russell Raymond (Dominica: 2021)
Anna Stacy (United States: 2021)
Reeana Tazreean (Canada: 2020)
Diya Theodore (United States: 2021)
AMBASSADOR: HUMAN RIGHTS CAMPAIGN
YOUTH AMBASSADORS FOR
THE HUMAN RIGHTS CAMPAIGN
Nico Craig (Los Angeles, California: 2021)
Joseph Reed (San Bernardino, California)
Jalen Smith (South Pasadena, California: 2021)
Nicole Talbot (Beverly, Massachusetts: 2020)
AMBASSADOR: UNICEF
YOUTH AMBASSADORS FOR UNICEF
Hima Das (India: 2018)
Adama Diallo (Senegal, Africa: 2021)
Madina Kimaro (Tanzania: 2022)
Wang Yuan (Roy Wang) (China: 2018)
ARTIST: CARTOONIST
Walt Disney was employed as a full-time cartoonist.
(Kansas City: 1919)
ATHLETE: BASKETBALL PLAYER
Kobe Bryant played for the Los Angeles Lakers, which, when growing up, was his favorite team.
(California: 1996)
Illustrated by Jake Reher
ATHLETE: CHEERLEADER
Patience Beard, a college freshman, became one of the five cheerleaders for the University of Arkansas Spirit Squad. They performed all the cheerleading moves (leg kicks, tumbling, dancing, etc.), but Patience did so wearing her zebra print prosthetic leg.
Born with a non-hereditary disease, Patience had part of her left leg amputated before she was a year old. At age four, she started gymnastic lessons. In seventh grade, she joined her first cheerleading team. She explains, “My parents always treated me as if I could do anything. They always pushed me to do the best I can do and never let me give excuses ever.” Patience, who long dreamed of becoming a college cheerleader, explains, “It’s always a challenge, always pushing yourself. Everyone goes through obstacles…If there’s something about yourself you can’t change, then own it…The people who feel good about themselves are the ones who go for their dreams…It’s all mental. You have to tell yourself, you can do it, if it’s something you want, then just do it.”
(Fayetteville, Arkansas: 2012)
Illustrated by Ray Russotto
ATHLETE: ENGLISH FOOTBALLER
Cristiano Ronaldo became a member of the Manchester United Football Team (called “soccer” in the United States). The team is based in Manchester, England.
(Portugal: 2003)
ATHLETE: FIGURE SKATER
Yuma Kagiyama became an Olympic silver medalist, at the men’s figure skating event at the Beijing Winter Olympics.
(Japan: 2022)
ATHLETE: GOLFER
Tiger Woods was the youngest ever to win the U.S. Amateur Championship, Sawgrass in Ponte Verde Beach, Florida. He also won: the Western Amateur Championship, the Southern California Golf Association Amateur Championship, the Pacific Northwest Amateur Championship, the William Tucker Invitational, and the Jerry Pate Invitational. Tiger went on to become one of the most accomplished athletes of all time.
(Cypress, California: 1994)
Visit Tiger’s website.
ATHLETE: ICE HOCKEY PLAYER
Rick DiPietro became the first pick of the New York Islanders and the highest-drafted goalie in the history of the National Hockey League (NHL) Draft. Rick was a Boston University freshman, when he signed his first professional hockey contract, which was for three years.
(Winthrop, Massachusetts: 2000)
Illustrated by Ray Russotto
Learn more…
ATHLETE: MOUNTAIN CLIMBER
Kristen Kelliher became the youngest female to climb all 50 US state highpoints.
(Norwich, Vermont: 2012)
Learn about Kristen as:
– an athlete: mountain climber: age 17
Samantha Larson became the youngest person to reach the seven summits – the highest mountain on each continent. She also became the youngest American to reach the summit of Mount Everest.
(Los Angeles, California: 2007)
Illustrated by Alexandra Holliday
ATHLETE: MOUNTAIN CLIMBER
Lucy Westlake became the youngest American woman to stand on top of the world, when she reached the summit of Mt. Everest, 29,032 feet above sea level. The expedition took 26 days, but she believes that every step was worth it. Lucy explains, “I really hope that I inspire other people to climb their own mountains.”
(Naperville, Illinois: 2022)
Visit Lucy’s website.
Learn about Lucy as:
– an athlete: mountain climber: age 7, age 8, age 12, age 13, age 15, age 17
ATHLETE: SKIER
Eileen Gu, who started skiing at age eight, became the first and the youngest freestyle skier to win three medals at a single Winter Olympics. She won a gold medal in big air (the first to be held at the Olympics) and a gold in halfpipe. She also won a silver medal in the slopestyle event.
Eileen explains, “The opportunity to help inspire millions of young people during the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, my mother’s birthplace, is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to promote the sport I love.”
(San Francisco, California: 2022)
Illustrated by Jiani Ma
ATHLETE: SNOWBOARDER
Kelly Clark, who starter snowboarding at age seven, won a gold medal for women’s halfpipe at the 2002 Winter Olympics at Salt Lake City, Utah. During that season, she also won the US Open in both quarterpipe and halfpipe, won the Winter X Games halfpipe in Aspen, and three US Grand Prix events.
(Newport, Rhode Island: 2002)
Illustrated by Callie Clinch
ATHLETE: SURFER
Carissa Moore won the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) World Tour Championship. This earned her the title of Youngest ASP World Tour Female Champion. Carissa broke the 27-year-old record held by Frieda Zamba, of the USA, who won the title at age 19, in 1984.
(Hawaii: 2011)
Illustrated by Jake Reher
AUTHOR: PUBLISHED BOOK
Akin Haqq had his 40-page book, IM-Possible, published by Young Authors Publishing. His book reminds young readers that being healthy is the cool thing to do.
(Atlanta, Georgia: 2019)
AUTHOR: PUBLISHED BOOK
AUTHOR: PUBLISHED BOOK
Laurie Hernandez, gold medal Olympic gymnast, published her second book, She’s Got This. This 32-page children’s book was published by HarperCollins.
(Manhattan, New York: 2018)
AUTHOR: PUBLISHED BOOK
Susan Eloise (S. E.) Hinton published her first novel, The Outsiders. She authored it using her initials instead of her full name to avoid unfair gender bias toward a female writing about males. At the time, most books about teenagers were simple romances, but Susan’s story was a gritty, realistic portrayal of the struggles of teenagers. It was based on real gang rivalries at her high school, and challenged class stereotypes. At first, the novel was not a huge hit, and her first royalty check was for only $10. But soon, it became a great success. Teenagers loved the relatable writing and deep themes, and the book went on to be taught in schools. The novel has had lasting cultural impact, helping to create the young adult genre and being adapted to film by Francis Ford Coppola. Since its publication, over 15 million copies have been sold worldwide and it has been translated to over 30 languages. Susan has continued writing since The Outsiders, publishing nine more books over her career. Her writing has touched the lives of hundreds of readers and inspired many teenagers to continue reading and writing.
(Tulsa, Oklahoma: 1967)
Written & Illustrated by Danielle Alexander
AUTHOR: PUBLISHED BOOK
Christopher Paolini, with help from his parents, self-published his epic fantasy novel Eragon, which he began writing at age 15. Eragon was republished by Alfred A. Knopf publishing company when Christopher was 19 years old. It sold 33 million copies and went on to become a blockbuster film.
(United States: 2002)
BRIDGE PLAYER: LIFE MASTER
Dianne Barton-Paine became the youngest female to earn the title of Life Master, by the American Contract Bridge League (ACBL) which is the world’s largest organization dedicated to the card game.
(San Francisco, California: 1961)
Richard Freeman became the youngest male to earn the title of Life Master, by the American Contract Bridge League (ACBL) which is the world’s largest organization dedicated to the card game.
(Atlanta, Georgia: 1952)
CHEF
Luke Thomas became the youngest head chef in the United Kingdom when he joined Sanctum on the Green, in Berkshire, England. It was renamed Luke’s Fine Dining at Sanctum on the Green, then shortened to Luke’s Dining Room. The BBC Three filmed the event for the TV documentary series Britain’s Youngest Chef.
(Cookham, Berkshire, United Kingdom, 2012)
Illustrated by Jake Reher
CLOWN
Allegra Barnett makes people laugh. She explains, “I love performing. Clowning is like anything else in the arts. You do it only because you must. It’s a driving force. If I wanted money, I would have gone to law school and eventually take over my dad’s practice. But money isn’t my goal. Making people happy, that’s my role in life.”
(North Massapequa, New York: 1997)
Photo: Courtesy of the Barnett Family
Learn more…
COLLEGE GRADUATE WITH PH.D.
Sho Yano earned his Ph.D., the youngest Ph.D. in molecular genetics and cell biology, from the University of Chicago.
He earned his M.D. from the same university by age 21.
(Portland, Oregon: 2008)
DANCER: BALLERINA
Vitoria Bueno performed on America’s Got Talent All-Stars TV show. Her performance, described as “poised, elegant, and inspirational,” received a standing ovation from the audience and also the judges, who acknowledged that lack of arm makes dancing more difficult, due to the lack of balance. Simon Cowell, one of the judges, stated that Vitoria showed the signs of a star, perseverance and the ability to light up the stage. Vitoria placed third in the final round.
(Brazil: 2022)
Written & Illustrated by Lisa Subryan
Learn about Vitoria as:
– a dancer: ballerina: age 5, age 16
DONOR: HAIR
Stephen Gilbert, after growing out his hair for five years, had 22 inches of it cut off at the Guys and Dolls Salon. Then he donated it to Wigs For Kids, a non-profit organization in Ohio that creates free hair pieces for kids suffering from hair loss due to chemotherapy, radiation therapy, alopecia, trichotillomania, burns, and other medical causes. Stephen became sensitive to people who lose their hair when his mother was dealing with breast cancer.
(Cortland, New York: 2020)
Illustrated by Jake Reher
FOUNDER
Yara Shahidi, television and movie actress, founded Eighteen x 18, a nationwide social media platform to help teens understand tough political issues and why they should vote. It is now called WeVoteNext. Yara explains, “We vote for not only ourselves, but for ‘all sons and daughters’ and every layer and intersection of identity. We vote for each other.” Yara celebrated her 18th birthday by having a party where people could register to vote.
(Minneapolis, Minnesota: 2018)
INVENTOR
Ann Makosinski invented the eDrink mug, a phone-charging travel mug. It uses heat from the hot beverage to generate electricity to charge a phone by plugging it into the USB port at the bottom of the mug.
(Victoria, British Columbia, Canada: 2015)
Learn about Ann as:
– an inventor: age 15
– a visionary: age 10
Mark Mazumder invented coating stents to prevent arterial reblockage.
(Little Rock, Arkansas: 2003)
Ryan Patterson invented The American Sign Language Translator, an electronic glove that automatically translates American Sign Language into printed text.
(Grand Junction, Colorado: 2000)
INVENTOR
Joseph Pechter and William Pechter, twins, invented Hybrid Text-to-Speech 2000, a program to help visually impaired and blind people to read. It recognizes over 10,000 words. It automatically reads (with speech inflection, based on punctuation marks) any text on a computer or in a scanner, with the touch of a single button.
(Vero Beach, Florida: 2000)
INVENTOR
Ezra Jacob Rapoport invented the Speech Compression Engine based on principal component analysis.
(New York City, New York: 2003)
INVENTOR
Jerry Siegel (an aspiring writer) and Joe Shuster (an aspiring artist) co-invented Superman, the fictional comic book character.
(Cleveland, Ohio: 1932)
Illustrated by Ray Russotto
INVENTOR
Harris Sokoloff invented the Headphone Emergency Alert Defense System (Heads Up)
(Demarest, New Jersey: 2002)
Illustrated by Kathan Dorriety
INVENTOR
Rishi S. Vasudeva invented the Biodegradable Disposable Diaper.
(Roswell, Georgia: 2000)
Illustrated by Catherine Sun
INVENTOR
Max Ylitalo invented a process to produce energy from waste reduction.
(Stillwater, Minnesota: 2016)
LAWMAKER / LEGISLATOR
Saira Blair became the representative from the 59th District of the West Virginia House of Delegates. This made her the youngest person elected to state or federal office in the United States.
(Martinsburg, West Virginia: 2014)
Illustrated by Jake Reher
LAWYER
Kathleen Holtz became the youngest California practicing lawyer.
(California: 2007)
LIFESAVER / RESCUER
Sarah Dixon was in an Internet chat room with a fellow student who mentioned repeatedly that he wanted a gun to kill himself. The student pleaded for Sarah’s help in an attempt to end his life.
The next day, Sarah reported this conversation to school officials, who were able to intervene. The student admitted he was depressed and wanted to find a way to kill himself. With the school’s help, the student was given help and consequently his life was save.
In another instance, Sarah came across information about another student who threatened the safety and welfare of her high school staff, students and campus. That information made it possible again for a tragedy to be averted.
For Sarah’s passion and action to help others, she was honored with the Lee County Sheriff’s Office Do The Right Thing Award.
(Fort Myers, Florida: 2001)
Written by Trish Routte, Lee County Sheriff’s Office
LIFESAVER / RESCUER
Tyler Gianchetta became concerned when his mother, Susan, stopped responding to him as she was driving the car. “She didn’t answer me, and then I asked her if she’s ignoring me and no answer.”
Susan started shaking and crashed into a tree. The car began to fill with smoke. Instinctively, Tyler, who has autism, knew he had to get his mom unconscious mom out of the car so she wouldn’t die. He broke his hand in the process, but pulled her to safety, just seconds before the car burst into flames.
Tyler, a student at Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts, explained, “And if I broke my hand saving her life, I’d break the other one saving it again.” Later he added, “I say, don’t call me a hero, I’m not a hero yet until I know she’s OK.” His mom was recovering at Huntington Hospital.
(Huntington, New York: 2015)
LIFESAVER / RESCUER
Robert Siemann Jr. (an Eagle Scout and assistant Scoutmaster) and his father, saved his neighbor’s life, after a garbage truck had crashed into her house.
(Albertson, New York: 2021)
MAYOR
Kelvin Green, in 2014, became the Mayor of Archer City, Texas, population 1,834. He ran unopposed while a student in high school. In 2017, he was re-elected for his second term.
(Archer City, Texas: 2014)
Illustrated by Ray Russotto
MILLIONAIRE: NON-INHERITED
Isabel Bercaw and her 17-year-old sister, Caroline Bercaw, grew their DaBombFizzers into a multi-million dollar business.
(Minneapolis, Minnesota: 2019)
Illustrated by Alexandra Holliday
Visit Isabel’s and Caroline’s website.
Learn about Isabel as:
– an entrepreneur: age 12, age 13
– a philanthropist: age 19
– a visionary: age 11
MILLIONAIRE: NON-INHERITED
MUSICIAN: COMPOSER
Palash Muchhal composed the music for a song in a commercial movie Dishkiyaoon.
(Mumbai, Maharashtra, India: 2014)
MUSICIAN: SINGER
Zara Larsson, a pop singer, performed in concert at Dcode Music Festival in Madrid, Spain.
(Sweden: 2016)
MUSICIAN: SINGER
Elvis Presley recorded his first song, “My Happiness”, as a gift for his mother. That was the A-side of the record. The B-side was “That’s When Your Heartaches Begin.” Elvis paid $4 to record it, as a 78 RPM acetate copy at Sun Records in Memphis. Since the Presley family did not have a record player, Elvis stopped by a friend’s house to listen to his recording. As commonly known, Elvis went on to become the King of Rock ‘N’ Roll.
(Memphis, Tennessee: 1953)
MUSICIAN: SINGER
Alyssa Raghu, singer and songwriter, recorded “Someone You Loved” and “Soul is in LA”.
(Orlando, Florida: 2020 & 2021)
Visit Alyssa’s website.
MUSICIAN: TROMBONIST
Peter Moore became the youngest ever member of the London Symphony Orchestra (LSO).
(London, England: 2014)
Illustrated by Jake Reher
Learn about Peter as:
– a musician: age 12
MUSICIAN: VIOLINIST
Meena Bhasin, considered one of the best young string players in the world, has performed in Japan, at the United Nations General Assembly Hall, at the Mostly Mozart Concert at Avery Fisher Hall…
She explained, “Never be discouraged.”
(Plainview, New York: 2002)
Nominated and Written by Jourdan Urbach
Learn more…
PATENTEE
Chester Greenwood got a patent for his ear-mufflers.
(Framington, Maine: 1877)
Learn about Chester as:
– an inventor: age 15
PHILANTHROPIST
Caroline Bercaw, and her 19-year-old sister, Isabel Bercaw, in an effort to “give back,” donate a portion of the proceeds from their business (Da Bomb Fizzers) to various organizations to help clean up the oceans.
(Minneapolis, Minnesota: 2020)
Visit Caroline’s and Isabel’s website.
Learn about Caroline as:
– an entrepreneur: age 11, age 12
– a millionaire: age 17
– a visionary: age 10
POLYGLOT
A polyglot is a person who speaks, writes, reads, or understands more than one language.
Tim Doner spoke 20 languages and explains, “Some people do Rubik’s Cubes; I do languages.”
(Manhattan, New York: 2014)
PROFESSOR
Alia Sabur was appointed to the position of an International Professor at Konkuk University in Seoul, South Korea. This qualified her as the world’s youngest professor, beating the previous record held by 19-year-old Colin Maclaurin in 1717.
(New York: 2008)
SOCIAL MEDIA STAR / INTERNET CELEBRITY
Jordan Beckham achieved a following of 3.9 million on TikTok, 73.4 thousand on Instagram, and 144 thousand on YouTube. She frequently posts videos on fashion, dancing, and lip-syncing.
(Jacksonville, Florida: 2022)
Peyton Coffee achieved a following of over 15 million on TikTok, 2.5 million on Instagram, and 63 thousand on YouTube. On TikTok she is known for her comical videos.
(Hawaii: 2022)
Charli D’Amelio achieved a following of 148.4 million on TikTok (with 11.2 billion Likes), 9.48 million on YouTube, and 5.3 million on Twitter. Her content consists mainly of dance videos to popular songs.
(Norwalk, Connecticut: 2022).
Carter Gallo achieved a following of 1.2 million on his TikTok account, where he sells his hoodies with the saying, “you. me. country music.”
(Richmond, Virginia: 2022).
SOCIAL MEDIA STAR / INTERNET CELEBRITY
Mark Gomez achieved a following of 2 million on TikTok, 430 thousand on Instagram, and 166 thousand on YouTube.
(San Antonio, Texas: 2022)
Natalie Janowski (Natalie Jane) achieved a following of 1 million on TikTok and 544 thousand on Instagram. She frequently post musical covers of her singing.
(Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey: 2022)
Semaj Lesley achieved a following of 1.7 million on TikTok, 1.4 million on Instagram, and 90.3 thousand on YouTube. She is known for posting dance videos.
(Detroit, Michigan: 2022)
Diego Martir achieved a following of 4.4 million on TikTok, and 1.1 million on Instagram. He is known for his comic videos and selfies. The “Famous Birthdays” website, ranks Diego as the Number 1 social media star born in El Salvador.
(El Salvador: 2022)
SOCIAL MEDIA STAR / INTERNET CELEBRITY
Madi Monroe achieved a following of over 17 million on TikTok, 4.4 million on Instagram, 539 thousand on YouTube, and 1.3 million on Twitter. Her TikTok videos feature dance, beauty, lifestyle content, and daily routine.
(Los Angeles, California: 2022)
Cynthia Parker achieved a following of 4.8 million on TikTok, and 1.4 million on Instagram. On TikTok, she specializes in lip-syncs and dance videos.
(Burlington, Canada: 2022)
Laila Wiggins (Brace Face Laii) achieved a following of 2 million on Instagram. She posts videos of her dancing to hip hop songs.
(Virginia: 2022)
SPEAKER: SHARK TANK
Shirah Benarde and her older brother, Michael Benarde, co-founders of NightCap, a drink cap cover and spike prevention scrunchie, gave their presentation on Shark Tank, ABC’s hit television series (Season 12, Episode12). Shirah and Michael struck one of the fastest deals in Shark Tank history. Shark Lori Greiner’s offered of $60,000 for 25% equity was accepted. Lori announced, “I love this. I don’t think that I have ever seen a product come into the Shark Tank that resonated more deeply in a social mission way as this…I think this is genius…This needs to be in every woman’s hands.”
NightCap has the phrase “You’re covered” as part of their logo. The company has worked with more than 150 universities to help prevent drink spiking across campuses.
(West Palm Beach, Florida: 2021)
Photo: Courtesy of NightCap
Visit Shirah’s and Michael’s website.
Learn about Shirah as:
– an entrepreneur: age 17
– an inventor: age 16
SPEAKER: SHARK TANK
Kobe Johnson, his father (Ron Johnson) and older sister (Taylor Johnson) gave their Tailgate N Go company presentation on Shark Tank. Their company sells portable, modular, outdoor kitchen and dry boxes online. The three co-founders asked for $250,000 for a 10% stake/equity in their company. They accepted $250k for 20% equity including a $50 per-unit royalty, which was offered by recurring guest shark Matt Higgins (Miami Dolphins Vice Chairman and RSE Ventures co-founder and CEO).
The idea of creating Tailgate N Go originated when Kobe and his family went on an unorganized camping trip. After they unpacked their bags, they missed all the needed kitchen supplies they left at home. Realizing there must be a better way to organize their supplies, they designed their product. They created nine prototypes and spent 18 months attending weekend trade shows, prior to appearing on Shark Tank.
Kobe, the first deaf entrepreneur in Shark Tank history to appear on the show, explains, “When we’re done changing the outdoors world with Tailgate N Go in the future, I also want to change the deaf world, starting with the old technology for the deaf…I want to start a new business that will modernize the deaf world! Shark Tank is just the beginning!”
(Grand Junction, Colorado: 2019)
Visit Kobe’s website.
VISIONARY
Mary Shelley envisioned her story of Frankenstein, which she created into a book at age 19, and had it published at age 20.
(London, England: 1815)
Illustration by, and courtesy of, Lucie Rice