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October 11 is the International Day of the Girl, and what better time to clap like crazy for those fierce females who take matters into their own hands and get things DONE?! Here are five girls who are making big changes in their communities and beyond...watch out, world!

The girl reminding us all that dark skin is beautiful
Kheris Rogers has always felt different because of her dark skin. "When I was in the first grade, I was one of four black kids in my class, " she told The Undefeated. "They would call me names and wouldn’t play with me. There was an instance when we had to draw ourselves, and my teacher gave me a black crayon instead of a brown one. I felt really uncomfortable." Worried that other girls might be feeling the same way, Kheris started Flexin' In My Complexion, a clothing line that features products with inspiring messages. "I felt that I needed to help empower others to feel comfortable in their skin color," Kheris explains. "I want to help others feel confident in their skin, knowing it is beautiful no matter how dark or light they are."

The girl who's using her own cancer battle to inspire others
Laini Hawkins is just like any high school sophomore—she listens to music, goes to school, plays volleyball...but she's also in remission from cancer. Laini, who was diagnosed with sarcoma last year, says that volleyball got her through the toughest time in her life. Now that she has undergone two surgeries and is feeling better, Laini wants to use her favorite sport to make a difference. "Whenever I think about playing volleyball I think about all the kids who can't play volleyball and the time period where I couldn’t play volleyball," she said. Next month, Laini will host the first-ever Spike Sarcoma, a volleyball tournament that aims to raise awareness for childhood cancer. All proceeds from the event will go to Carilion Pediatric Oncology and Johns Hopkins Pediatric Oncology for soft tissue sarcoma education and research.
 

The girl who's saving the planet
You've probably already heard about powerhouse climate change activist Greta Thunberg, and Jamie Margolin is just as impressive—in fact, she and Greta sat next to each other when they testified in front of Congress about the real dangers the earth is facing. Jamie launched Zero Hour, a movement that stresses the need for change now. Jamie feels a profound responsibility to raise awareness about climate change to ease the burden of future generations. She recently spoke to TODAY about meeting with younger kids interested in the issue. "They were asking all these questions and they were really scared — and these were just regular kids, not activists," Margolin said. "(One of the girls) said, 'The other night I literally cried myself to sleep over this climate issue. I don't know what I'm studying for if the future is not going to be there for me.' It broke my heart because I had to respond honestly and say I don't know." Jamie hopes that with Zero Hour and other movements like it, more and more voices will come together to demand change.

The girl fighting for stricter gun laws
Jules Oringel can remember the knot in her stomach when she looked at her phone on February 14, 2018, and read a text from one of her best friends. Jules' friend was writing to tell her that she was trapped inside Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School and that an active shooter was storming the halls. Luckily, Jules' friend made it out alive, but 17 others did not. Riddled with anxiety and fed up with the lack of change, Jules decided to do something about it. She started Return Home Supplies, a website that sells anti-gun-violence products, and donates all of the profits to organizations like March For Our Lives, Everytown for Gun Safety and Change the Ref. The ultimate goal is stricter gun control laws so that no one ever has to get a text like Jules' again. 

The girl championing for LGBTQ rights
When Molly Pinta was 12 years old, she had a thought: A lot of cities have gay pride parades, so why doesn't mine? With the help of her parents, Molly, now 13, got to work. She got local politicians, business owners, and church and school officials on her side, and launched the first-ever gay pride parade in Buffalo Grove, Illinois, this past June. The best part? Over two thousand people participated. For Molly, who came out to her parents two years ago, it was all a dream come true. "We want people to feel accepted who don’t get acceptance at home,” she said of the parade. “They don’t know acceptance is out there until they see all the rainbows and all the love.”

Do you know a girl who’s changing the world? Let us know in the comments!

by Jacqueline F. | 10/10/2019