Ty'Sheoma Bethea

Unspoken Heroes

The student that stimulated a nation, Ty'Sheoma Bethia, is an ordinary eighth grader with an extraordinary message of hope. She wrote the president saying: "We are just students trying to become lawyers, doctors, congressmen like yourself and one day president, so we can make a change to not just the state of South Carolina but also the world. We are not quitters." Her youthful idealism reminded a country of the optimism that has carried it through crisis after crisis in History. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

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Ty'Sheoma Bethea The student that stimulated a nation, Ty'Sheoma Bethia, is an ordinary eighth grader with an extraordinary message of hope. She wrote the president saying: "We are just students trying to become lawyers, doctors, congressmen like yourself and one day president, so we can make a change to not just the state of South Carolina but also the world. We are not quitters." Her youthful idealism reminded a country of the optimism that has carried it through crisis after crisis in History. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)
Natalia Vodianov... Natalia Vodianova is not your average model. Once a poor teenager who used to sell fruits in Russia, she was discovered by an agent and became one of the industry's most highly desired models in merely a few years. Now a mother of three, Vodianova is a dedicated philathropist and a lobbyist for human rights in her native land of Russia. (Photo by Vittorio Zunino Celotto/Getty Images)
The Late Anna Po... Though Anna Politkovskaya is no longer with us, the ongoing case to find her murderers persists. One of the most influential and courageous investigative journalists of our time, Politkovskaya constantly put herself on the line testifying in court cases on genocide and ethnic issues. She was never afraid to criticize her government. She put the truth above all else, and lost her life in the act of doing so. Even in her death, she lives on as a powerful testament to the freedom of speech and undeniable valor. She was the embodiment of journalistic integrity in an era of media irresponsibility. (AP Photo/Novaya Gazeta, HO, file)
Captain Chesley ... Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger, a pilot for US Airways, managed to land a plane full of passengers into the Hudson river without losing a single person. His years of experience and ability to work under extreme distress made him the hero of a story that has continued to astound the American people. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)
Brittany Catanza... Ferry boat captain Brittany Catanzaro acted quickly. When the Hudson plane went down, she led the way for a brigade of ferry boats to rescue the weary passengers. (AP Photo/Mike Derer)
Leonard Abess J... In an era of bank bailouts and an industry of million dollar bonuses and swanky parties with salmon croquettes, Leonard Abess has proven to have a higher sense of ethical integrity than his contemporaries. When he heard his company was going bankrupt, he withdrew his 60 million dollar bonus and gave it to his employees in an act of charity, good will, and corporate responsibility that has been missing since the advent of this recession. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)
The Kids of 'Slu... The past year has been the year of the underdog. With an era of corporate greed and opulence coming to an end, Americans have gravitated more and more to the common story of perseverance. 'Slumdog Millionaire' was the 2009 winner for best picture at the Oscars. Its three child stars from the poorest neighborhood in India proudly ran on stage to accept the award. They have become the faces to an issue of global poverty as well as overcoming the odds. In the most Dickensian of ways, they have been given the opportunity to attend the best schools in India and will no doubt one day champion the cause that they stand for now. (AP Photo/Matt Sayles)
Lilly Ledbetter Lilly Ledbetter is a champion for women's rights. For 19 years she worked at a Goodyear plant in an almost entirely male dominated field. After almost two decades of being paid less than her male counterparts, Ledbetter took a stand. In the monumental legislation of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009, she made known the difficulties in women seeking equal pay for equal work and changed the statute of limitations for bringing cases against employers who discriminate. Ledbetter bettered the conditions for working women everywhere. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)
Blake Jones 'Namaste Solar' CEO Blake Jones is an exorcise in determination. It is no secret that in times of economic strife, the sciences are the one of the first to lose funding. A dedicated supporter of energy efficiency in a desperate global environment, Jones made an impact on the Stimulus Bill and was invited to President Obama's address to Congress. (AP Photo/Ed Andrieski)
Lin Hao The 2008 Beijing Olympics were no doubt China's debut to the globalized culture. Emerging as a new superpower, Lin Hao became his country's mascot. While China suffered from its devastating earthquake, Lin Hao's school collapsed. The only student able to pull himself from the rubble to escape, he bravely went back to rescue his classmates all on his own. When asked why he did such a dangerous deed, he replied: 'Because it was my turn to be the hall monitor.' (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)
Naif al-Mutawa Naif al-Mutawa, founder of the Teshkeel Media Group and publisher of the comic book series "The 99" has become an influential author in the Arab world. A prize winning children's book author, he highlights heroes within his own community and inspires a generation of young Arabs across the world. His good will has served as a positive push for Arabs living in a post-9/11 world of stereotypes and racism. (AP Photo/Gustavo Ferrari)
Jin Jing Jin Jing, is a Chinese Paralympic fencer who became a national hero for defending the Olympic torch from a protester. Her sense of patriotism has garnered her world recognition. (AP Photo/Francois Mori)
Robert Jarvik The most famous biomedical engineer today, Robert Jarvick was deeply effected by his father's surgery, which he saw as a young teenager. He decided to dedicate his life to medicine in hopes of changing the world. He is the inventor of the artificial heart and continues to make strides and discoveries within the medical field. (AP Photo/Vincent Michel)
Rosemary Nyirumb... Sister Rosemary Nyirumbe of Uganda, opened a school to rehabilitate girls who were devastated by the 'Lord's Resistance Army.' She gave women a voice and created a global initiative to aid the victims of abuse in Africa. (AP Photo/Peter Kramer)
Brian Morgenste... Brian Morgenstern, an electronics store clerk, is credited with providing the tip that broke up an alleged plot to kill soldiers at Fort Dix. Morganstern, after three weeks of being hailed as an anonymous hero by law enforcement and on newspaper editorial pages, came forward. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
Melinda Gates Melinda Gates could have easily been a trophy wife, but instead chose a life of groundbreaking change. Married to one of the richest men in the world, she is a well known activist for public education and has brought opportunity and hope to some of the most impoverished areas in the US. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)
Kayla Cornale Kayla Cornale of Canada developed a music system that helps improve communications with autistic people. She sends a powerful message by promulgating the value of the arts to life. Using music as a unifying force in medical discoveries, her work with autism has garnered her world praise. (AP Photo/Peter Kramer)
Morgan Spurlock Morgan Spurlock became a celebrity after his documentary 'Supersize Me' became a smash hit. He forever changed the country's view of the fast food industry and came into the American eye at a time when obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, clogged arteries and bad eating habits ran rampant in the US. He didn't just raise awareness; he truly made a difference--putting his own health at risk in the name of authentic art and health awareness. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
Bob Woodruff Bob Woodruff had a seemingly perfect life. He was slated to be the head anchor for ABC World News, was happily married and was a recognizable face. While reporting on the Iraq war, his van was hit by a bomb, causing significant brain injuries. At one point, half of his skull had to be removed. Not one to give up, Woodruff with the help of his family, had to relearn how to speak and regain full activity of his memory. Merely a few years later, he is working again. (AP Photo/Evan Agostini)
Jamie Oliver Jamie Oliver brought to light the issue of school meals in the poorer areas of Britain. By eradicating junk food off the menus of public schools, he created a culture of caloric responsibility while nourishing the impoverished along the way. He is a lobbyist and a hero. (Photo by Ralph Orlowski/Getty Images)
Shirin Ebadi Winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, Shirin Ebadi is a champion of humanitarianism in Iran. She has revolutionized her entire country and is an advocate for women's and children's rights. Never afraid to speak her mind in a patriarchal society, Ebadi's actions have inspired women across the world. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)
Chris Gardner Winner of an NAACP award, Chris Gardner is a multi-millionaire CEO after an era of homelessness and being a single father. The inspiration for the movie 'The Pursuit of Happyness' Gardner's personal struggle and uncrushable drive make him a hero. (AP Photo/Franka Bruns)
Joe the Plumber A hero to average Joe's around the country. Joe the Plumber became an election staple, signifying the average American. He was an advocate for the end of an era of Washington alienation. He helped both candidates learn to speak to the public, and not the lobbyists. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
Cindy Sheehan As one of the greatest tragedies a person can suffer, Cindy Sheehan is a parent that had to bury her child. Her personal loss in the Iraq war made her the face of a campaign to end it. In a style not seen since the 1960's, Sheehan took to Hunger strikes and protests to change the course of a war that she found absurd. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Erin Brockovich Erin Brockovich was a single mom with piling bills and debt. With a lot to worry about and everything to lose, she took on a conglomerate to bring enviornmental issues to the public eye. She defended a town of medically ill people whose water was intoxicated with waste. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)