Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 52 Page 53 Page 54 Page 55 Page 56 Page 57 Page 58 Page 59 Page 60 Page 61 Page 62 Page 63 Page 64 Page 65 Page 66 Page 67 Page 68 Page 69 Page 70 Page 71 Page 72 Page 73 Page 74 Page 75 Page 76 Page 77 Page 78 Page 79 Page 80 Page 81 Page 82 Page 83 Page 8410 GoodLifeFamilyMag.com JULY | AUGUST 2016 goodKID The Making of a Leader HIGH SCHOOL SOPHOMORE SAMMIE CASAS INSPIRES OTHERS TO SPREAD AWARENESS ABOUT SEX TRAFFICKING by Karyn Brodsky “If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.” - John Quincy Adams At the Dallas Independent School District’s Irma Lerma Rangel Young Women’s Leadership School, developing leaders is key. This year, one young woman in particular stands out. Rangel High School sophomore and Oak Cliff resident, Sammie Casas, has taken an important lesson and inspired others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more. Sammie and the other 66 girls in her class participated in a six-week curriculum presented by the Nest Foundation and New Friends New Life (NFNL), organizations that work to prevent human sex trafficking and provide support for its victims. Included in the curriculum was the documentary Playground: The Child Sex Trade in America directed by filmmaker Libby Spears and produced by George Clooney, Steven Soderbergh and Abigail Disney, which speaks to the sexualization of girls, how they are socialized and how this makes them vulnerable to predators. According to Irma Rangel Director Diana O’Connor, “the program truly transformed Sammie’s class.” Not only did all the girls want to continue the effort against human trafficking, but it also especially resonated with 15-year-old Sammie, who made it her mission to spread the word. “It showed me how vulnerable girls my age are, how we don’t really think of human trafficking as a problem in America, but it is so prevalent,” says Sammie. “We don’t realize how much we promote sexuality in media. It’s not going away any time soon, so it’s up to our generation to take action.” “I want the public to know that we as youth have a voice,”says Sammie, shown here with Keynote Speaker Amal Clooney at the New Friends New LifeWings luncheon in April, where she spoke without any notes to 1700 guests. Clooney was so impressed with Sammie’s eloquence that she told the audience she had already offered her a job once she graduates from college. "We don’t realize how much we promote sexuality in media. It’s not going away any time soon, so it’s up to our generation to take action.” -Sammie Casas, age 15 THE GOOD KID AWARD