Taylor_NP0 Richardson_NP0 ,_PUN 18_CRD 
Known_VVN to_PRP her_DPS online_AJ0 followers_NN2 as_PRP Astronaut_NP0 Starbright_NN1 ,_PUN Richardson_NP0 has_VHZ always_AV0 had_VHN a_AT0 fascination_NN1 with_PRP the_AT0 cosmos_NN1 ._SENT But_CJC at_PRP 9_CRD ,_PUN while_CJS attending_VVG space_NN1 camp_NN1 ,_PUN she_PNP realized_VVD she_PNP was_VBD the_AT0 only_AV0 Black_AJ0 girl_NN1 —_PUN a_AT0 pivotal_AJ0 moment_NN1 that_CJT sparked_VVD a_AT0 commitment_NN1 to_PRP diversifying_VVG STEM_NN1 (_PUL science_NN1 ,_PUN technology_NN1 ,_PUN engineering_NN1 and_CJC math_NN1 )_PUR fields_NN2 ._SENT "_PUQ Other_AJ0 girls_NN2 need_VVB to_TO0 know_VVI they_PNP can_VM0 be_VBI astronauts_NN2 ,_PUN "_PUQ says_VVZ the_AT0 high_AJ0 school_NN1 senior_AJ0 from_PRP Jacksonville_NP0 ,_PUN Florida_NP0 ._SENT To_PRP date_NN1 she_PNP has_VHZ raised_VVN more_AV0 than_CJS $_NN0 325_CRD ,_PUN 000_CRD to_TO0 introduce_VVI young_AJ0 women_NN2 of_PRF color_NN1 to_PRP science_NN1 via_PRP space_NN1 camp_NN1 scholarships_NN2 ,_PUN book_NN1 drives_NN2 centered_VVN on_PRP Black_AJ0 authors_NN2 and_CJC subjects_NN2 ,_PUN and_CJC tickets_NN2 to_PRP films_NN2 like_PRP Hidden_AJ0 Figures_NN2 ._SENT 
Naudia_NP0 Greenawalt_NP0 ,_PUN 12_CRD 
When_CJS Greenawalt_NP0 's_POS friend_NN1 Linkin_NP0 Eger_NP0 (_PUL right_AJ0 )_PUR needed_VVD chemotherapy_NN1 for_PRP a_AT0 brain_NN1 tumor_NN1 in_PRP 2017_CRD ,_PUN she_PNP decided_VVD to_TO0 write_VVI a_AT0 book_NN1 about_PRP him_PNP to_TO0 cheer_VVI him_PNP up_AVP and_CJC help_VVI them_PNP both_AV0 better_AV0 understand_VVI the_AT0 journey_NN1 ahead_AV0 ._SENT Greenawalt_NP0 and_CJC her_DPS family_NN1 published_VVD and_CJC sold_VVD 1_CRD ,_PUN 000_CRD copies_NN2 of_PRF My_DPS Friend_NN1 Linkin_NN1 to_PRP schools_NN2 ,_PUN libraries_NN2 and_CJC their_DPS neighbors_NN2 in_PRP New_NP0 Berlin_NP0 ,_PUN Wisconsin_NP0 ,_PUN raising_VVG $_NN0 5_CRD ,_PUN 000_CRD to_TO0 assist_VVI with_PRP Eger_NP0 's_POS medical_AJ0 bills_NN2 ._SENT The_AT0 success_NN1 inspired_VVD them_PNP to_TO0 launch_VVI the_AT0 nonprofit_AJ0 My_DPS Friend_NN1 Linkin_NP0 ;_PUN she_PNP and_CJC Eger_NP0 (_PUL whose_DTQ condition_NN1 is_VBZ currently_AV0 stable_AJ0 )_PUR have_VHB now_AV0 published_VVN five_CRD books_NN2 ,_PUN adopting_VVG a_AT0 pay-it-forward_AJ0 model_NN1 in_PRP which_DTQ the_AT0 subject_NN1 of_PRF the_AT0 previous_AJ0 book_NN1 ,_PUN if_CJS able_AJ0 ,_PUN authors_NN2 the_AT0 next_ORD ._SENT 
Sammie_NP0 Vance_NP0 ,_PUN 12_CRD 
Four_CRD years_NN2 ago_AV0 Vance_NP0 discovered_VVD a_AT0 surefire_NN1 way_NN1 to_TO0 find_VVI your_DPS purpose_NN1 :_PUN Ask_VVB yourself_PNX what_DTQ breaks_VVZ your_DPS heart_NN1 ._SENT "_PUQ For_PRP me_PNP ,_PUN it_PNP 's_VBZ seeing_VVG people_NN0 who_PNQ need_VVB a_AT0 friend_NN1 ,_PUN "_PUQ says_VVZ the_AT0 seventh_ORD grader_NN1 from_PRP Fort_NP0 Wayne_NP0 ,_PUN Indiana_NP0 ._SENT "_PUQ I_PNP 've_VHB been_VBN lonely_AJ0 myself_PNX ._SENT I_PNP do_VDB n't_XX0 want_VVI others_NN2 to_TO0 feel_VVI that_DT0 way_NN1 ._SENT "_PUQ After_PRP speaking_VVG to_PRP her_DPS principal_NN1 and_CJC pitching_VVG the_AT0 PTA_NP0 ,_PUN she_PNP launched_VVD Sammie_NP0 's_POS Buddy_NP0 Bench_NN1 Project_NN1 ,_PUN a_AT0 community-wide_AJ0 drive_NN1 that_CJT collected_VVD 1_CRD ,_PUN 600_CRD lbs._NN2 of_PRF bottle_NN1 caps_NN2 ,_PUN which_DTQ were_VBD recycled_VVN into_PRP three_CRD buddy_NN1 benches_NN2 ._SENT Today_AV0 her_DPS efforts_NN2 continue_VVB ,_PUN with_PRP more_AV0 than_CJS 200_CRD benches_NN2 donated_VVN to_PRP schools_NN2 and_CJC parks_NN2 in_PRP the_AT0 U.S._NP0 ,_PUN Mexico_NP0 and_CJC Australia_NP0 ._SENT 
Harshini_NP0 Anand_NP0 ,_PUN 17_CRD 
While_CJS researching_VVG a_AT0 community_NN1 service_NN1 project_NN1 for_PRP school_NN1 ,_PUN Anand_NP0 read_VVD about_PRP a_AT0 woman_NN1 buried_VVN in_PRP medical_AJ0 debt_NN1 from_PRP a_AT0 car_NN1 crash_NN1 ._SENT "_PUQ She_PNP wished_VVD she_PNP 'd_VHD never_AV0 made_VVN it_PNP out_AVP of_PRF the_AT0 hospital_NN1 ,_PUN "_PUQ recalls_VVZ the_AT0 high_AJ0 school_NN1 senior_AJ0 from_PRP Ypsilanti_NP0 ,_PUN Michigan_NP0 ._SENT "_PUQ It_PNP was_VBD so_AV0 jarring_AJ0 to_TO0 see_VVI the_AT0 system_NN1 pushing_VVG people_NN0 to_PRP those_DT0 negative_AJ0 thoughts_NN2 ._SENT "_PUQ When_CJS the_AT0 pandemic_AJ0 hit_NN1 ,_PUN the_AT0 school_NN1 assignment_NN1 was_VBD canceled_AJ0 —_PUN so_CJS Anand_NP0 forged_VVD ahead_AV0 on_PRP her_DPS own_DT0 ,_PUN fundraising_NN1 ,_PUN writing_VVG letters_NN2 ,_PUN calling_VVG local_AJ0 businesses_NN2 and_CJC reaching_VVG out_AVP to_PRP friends_NN2 ._SENT In_PRP June_NP0 she_PNP hit_VVD her_DPS $_NN0 15_CRD ,_PUN 000_CRD goal_NN1 ,_PUN which_DTQ the_AT0 national_AJ0 nonprofit_AJ0 RIP_NP0 Medical_AJ0 Debt_NN1 used_VVN to_TO0 help_VVI erase_VVB $_NN0 1.8_CRD million_CRD in_PRP her_DPS home_NN1 state_NN1 ._SENT 
Brooke_NP0 and_CJC Breanna_NP0 Bennett_NP0 ,_PUN 14_CRD 
The_AT0 twin_AJ0 sisters_NN2 from_PRP Montgomery_NP0 ,_PUN Alabama_NP0 ,_PUN remember_VVB the_AT0 "_PUQ heartbreaking_AJ0 "_PUQ moment_NN1 they_PNP first_ORD recognized_VVD "_PUQ period_NN1 poverty_NN1 ,_PUN "_PUQ the_AT0 inadequate_AJ0 access_NN1 to_PRP feminine_AJ0 hygiene_NN1 products_NN2 ._SENT Waiting_VVG for_PRP their_DPS mother_NN1 where_CJS she_PNP taught_VVD school_NN1 ,_PUN they_PNP saw_VVD students_NN2 ask_VVB for_PRP pads_NN2 and_CJC tampons_NN2 ,_PUN because_CJS otherwise_AV0 they_PNP had_VHD to_TO0 resort_VVI to_PRP socks_NN2 or_CJC tissues_NN2 ._SENT After_PRP doing_VDG more_DT0 research_NN1 and_CJC learning_NN1 that_CJT one_PNI in_PRP five_CRD young_AJ0 women_NN2 in_PRP the_AT0 U.S._NP0 struggles_VVZ to_TO0 afford_VVI menstrual_AJ0 products_NN2 (_PUL which_DTQ are_VBB not_XX0 covered_VVN by_PRP welfare_NN1 programs_NN2 like_AV0 SNAP_VVB )_PUR ,_PUN the_AT0 Bennetts_NP0 ,_PUN now_AV0 Gloria_NP0 Barron_NP0 Prize_NN1 for_PRP Young_AJ0 Heroes_NN2 award_NN1 winners_NN2 ,_PUN founded_VVD Women_NN2 in_PRP Training_NN1 ,_PUN Inc._AJ0 
