Sixteen-year-old Mary-Pat Hector saw a problem in her own community. She says too many young people were dying in gun violence.

“It was seeing my friends hurt; it was seeing it on the television constantly. It kind of made me feel like I had to do something about it,” said Hector.

So Mary-Pat became the national youth director of one of the largest U.S. civil rights organizations, the National Action Network. She also started a campaign to educate young people about gun violence.

“My 8-year-old brother drives me, I think, about how innocent he is. I just want the world to be a better place for him and my children,” she said.

Mary-Pat Hector,  Jack Andraka, and Winter Vinecki say a combination of supportive parents, the Internet and social media has helped them succeed; but Winter and Jack also created their inner selves.

“I think the biggest thing for kids and adults is to never let age and gender be a barrier and to not just dream but dream big,” said Vinecki.

“Never let anyone else tell you no," said Andraka. "Always keep going for your dream, and think if a 15-year-old could do it, just think what you could do.”

They say with that kind of thinking, anything is possible.

I'm June Simms. Join us again next week for American Mosaic from VOA Learning English.