Resilience in Words: Amanda Gorman's Journey

At just 22, Amanda Gorman stood before the world on Inauguration Day 2021 and delivered

her poem, “The Hill We Climb.” Her voice was steady, her words electric — weaving hope from

a nation’s wounds. But her journey began long before the spotlight. Gorman struggled

with a speech impediment as a child, making public speaking feel impossible. Instead of giving

up, she leaned into language — writing poetry, reading hungrily,

shaping her voice word by word. She became the first ever National Youth Poet Laureate,

using poetry to confront issues like race, justice, and identity.

When she spoke at the inauguration, she wasn’t just reciting a poem — she was proving