Amanda Gorman was born on March 7, 1998, in Los Angeles, California.  In Kindergarten, she was diagnosed with Auditory Processing Disorder or APD.  This is a speech disorder that causes people to struggle with speech and articulation.  It is amazing that despite this, Amanda Gorman has become known nationwide for her speaking and poetry.   At just 16 years old, she founded One Page One Pen, an organization that provides free creative writing opportunities for underserved students.  (E.g., minorities, low-income students, students with special needs, etc.)  In 2017, at the age of 19, Gorman became the first National Youth Poet Laureate.  She served as the National Youth Poet Laureate for the city of Los Angeles.  She graduated cum laude from Harvard University in 2020 with a degree in sociology.  On January 20, 2021, Gorman recited her poem "The Hill We Climb" at the presidential inauguration of Joe Biden.  Here, she made history by becoming the youngest inaugural poem in U.S. history.  Gorman has won many awards for her poems and has written for Nike's Black History Month Campaign, New York Times, and more.  She's gained recognition from several magazines including Glamour and Scholastic Inc.  Today, Gorman holds the position of the youngest board member of the largest youth writing organization in the U.S., 826 National.

Amanda Gorman is living proof that despite your obstacles, you can do anything you put your mind to.  She hasn't let her age or her APD stop her from being extraordinary.