The Young Woman Who Could Be President
A Michigan Activist Inspires Global Change
We may someday see Amariyanna My’Angel “Mari” Copeny sitting in the Oval Office. Although she has 20 years to go before she’s eligible for the 2044 race, reaching the White House is one of the many goals this 17-year-old has already considered. If her past achievements are any indication, this inspiring young woman — affectionately known as “Little Miss Flint” — will very likely get there. In just 10 years, Mari has gone from an anonymous child in Michigan to an internationally renowned climate activist who’s spent time with U.S. presidents, made global headlines, and become a valued participant in the United Nations — and it all started with a bubble bath. One evening in 2014, Mari’s mother, Loui, noticed something very wrong with the water she was using to bathe her three children at the family’s home in Flint. Loui told Teen Vogue, “[It] didn’t have a specific color at first, but the smell was off. The water would almost burn your skin and your eyes, and it got worse when they started dumping chemicals into it to try to fix the damage that was already done to the pipes.”
Mari immediately took action, making a video that put a human face to the water crisis affecting her city. A now- famous screencap of the recording — featuring the stern- faced girl holding a sign reading, “Flint, MI has been without clean water since April 24, 2014” — became a viral sensation. She also gained exposure by penning an open letter to President Barack Obama in the Los Angeles Times urging him to visit Flint and experience the emergency for himself — prompting his approval of $100 million in federal aid. In addition to her work with President Obama, Mari has spent time with Presidents Joe Biden and Bill Clinton, Sen. Bernie Sanders, and other national and world leaders. In 2021, she became the youngest U.N. delegate in history when she was named to the 65th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women. That’s a huge honor for someone who has yet to celebrate her 18th birthday! Not surprisingly, she has a clear message for any young person who wants to better their local or global communities: “You’re never too young or too small to change the world.
Sharing the Magic Co-Parenting Strategies for Happier Holidays
While you may be divorced, the children you share together still need a home for the holidays and effective co-parents to steward them during the festive season. While co-parenting, even at the best of times, can present its challenges, it can be especially difficult during the holidays, as it requires effective coordination, planning, and cooperation to be successful. However, you can use tools and make decisions that can reduce stress and instill a sense of security and consistency for your children during the holiday season. PARENTING PLANS In Illinois, a parenting plan is a document that details how shared custody will be handled between divorced parents of children. Parenting plans include a swathe of information, including decisions regarding the children’s health care, transportation, and living arrangements. It is best if both parents can agree on a shared parenting plan, though either may file their own version of the plan to the court for consideration. If the plan is agreed upon between the parents, it must be filed with the court within 120 days of any “allocation of parental responsibilities,” according to 750 ILCS § 602.10. If parents do not agree to file their own parenting plan(s), then the
details are out of their hands, and the responsibility of allocating parenting responsibilities then falls to the court. ALLOCATING PARENTING TIME
One of the key details included in a parenting plan is related to
parenting time: how much time each parent spends with the children. The most convenient way to establish parenting time during the holidays is with an agreed-upon parenting time schedule. This can be made equitable by having parents alternate years for certain holidays (such as even years for the father, and odd years for the mother) or by splitting holidays between the two parents depending on their personal preferences. By having a consistent schedule, both you and your children will have more certainty and less stress this holiday season.
2 — rbbfirm.com
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