'I Just Want To Fix The World,' Says Flint Teen About Her Drive For Activism

Environment

In the spring of 2016, residents of Flint, Mich., were experiencing one of the country’s most devastating water crises. Flint-native Mari Copeny decided to do something about it. She wrote a letter to then-President Barack Obama which led to the president traveling to Flint and sitting down to talk with Mari. What might be most remarkable is that Mari was just 8 at the time. Now 13, she’s launched into a life of activism . Mari will be the keynote speaker at Saturday's Alverno College’s State Of Wisconsin Girls Summit , timed to highlight International Day of the Girl . The goal is to nurture leadership skills and encourage girls to become civically engaged. Mari will be sharing her story and conviction that kids can bring about real change. "The water crisis was really bad at the time and I was like, since I want to speak at the congressional hearings, how about I write to Mr. Obama to see, you know, if he'll respond back to me," she says. "I was like, wait, I have to tell him about