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Meet the awesome girls from Time's list of the 30 most influential teens

 
It's no secret that there are some seriously awesome teens out there changing the world. Whether it's through fashion, science, social media or politics, teenagers have proven time and time again that they can be just as smart, strong and hard-working as adults—and that no matter their age, they can make a difference.

Last week, Time revealed their list of the thirty most influential teens of 2015, and there were some pretty incredible kids on the list. Though it's no surprise that headline-making celebs like Zendaya, Rowan Blanchard, Amandla Stenberg and Kylie and Kendall Jenner all made the cut (in addition to Malia Obama, Malala Yousafzai, Ariel Winter, Maddie Ziegler, Bindi Irwin, Maisie Williams, Bethany Mota and Lele Pons, plus of course some great guys) we were excited to see some other names that you might not hear quite as often. 

If you're not already familiar with Ashima Shiraishi, Jazz Jennings, Chloe Kim, Olivia Hallisey, Tiffany Zhong, Lydia Ko and Katie Ledecky, let us introduce you—and explain why these girls are just as rad as the celebs we already know and love. 

 

Ashima Shiraishi, 14

Earlier this year—when she was still just thirteen—Ashima made a name for herself when she became the youngest person (and only girl!) to complete the "Open Your Mind" rock-climbing route in Spain. Now that climbing has officially been adding as a sport to the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, Japan, she's hoping to compete officially at the internatonal level.

 

Jazz Jennings, 15

This transgender teen realized that she was a girl at the young age of five, and she's been living her truth ever since. In addition to nabbing her own reality show I Am Jazz on TLC, she also scored an endorsement deal as the face of Clean & Clear's "See the Real Me" campaign and she's become a major voice for the LGBT community.

 

Chloe Kim, 15

Snowboarding since she was just six years old, Chloe stole the spotlight when she won the gold medal at the Winter X-Games in the Women's SuperPipe event. It doesn't hurt that she's the youngest person ever to grab the title. We've got no doubt she'll be tearing up the slopes in the Winter Olympics (just as soon as she's old enough to compete).

 

Oliva Hallisey, 17

This Grand Prize Winner beat out all the other comeptitors at the Google Science Fair in September after she created a new test for the ebola virus—that was faster, easier and cheaper than all the ones already on the market. That just goes to show that anyone can better the world—even if you're still in high school.

 

Tiffany Zhong, 18

This teen was bound for college at the University of California at Berkeley when she deferred her admission in favor of jumping right into the workforce. As an analyst and associate at Binary Capital, Tiffany is on the hunt to find other kids working just as hard as she does at designing and developing their own apps, start-ups and companies.

 

Lydia Ko, 18

The youngest golfer to ever reach the number one spot in the ranks, and the youngest winner ever at September's Evian Championship, Lydia's proving that golf isn't a "gentlemen only" sport. She's proving that both your age or your gender don't hold you back when you're passionate about a sport that you love.

 

Katie Ledecky, 18

A triple world record holder and Olympic gold medalist, Katie made a splash as a swimmer at the London events when she was just fifteen. Three years later, she's gearing up for the games next summer, and she's got her wins from this August's World Championships to pave her way. We know this is just the start for this talented teen.

What do you think of Time's list of influential teens? Who are you most inspired by? Tell us in the comments below.

Photos credit: Ashima Shiraishi, Jazz Jennings, Chloe Kim, Google Science Fair, Jason Henry/The Wall Street Journal, Lydia Ko, Katie Ledecky

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by Christina Mattera and Chelsea Duff | 2/1/2016
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