NATICK - Natalie Chen is only in middle school, but she knows she wants to make a difference.
She might fight for women’s rights, better education or a clean environment, Chen said Monday at Natick’s 13th annual the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Natick Community Celebration.
The Wilson Middle School student, who is one of three winners in an annual essay contest, drew inspiration from the King quote: "If a man hasn't discovered something that he will die for, he isn't fit to live."
The quote, she said, reminded her of Malala Yousafzai, a girl who fought for girls' education in Pakistan, was shot by the Taliban and survived and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
"Although I don't know what I would die for currently, I'm determined to have a purpose in life in the future. … I don’t want to just waste time and achieve nothing in my life. I want to pursue my dreams like Martin Luther King Jr. and Malala Yousafzai," she said, reading from her essay.
The event, held in Wilson Middle School, relied heavily on the talents of students, who sang, danced and read poetry and essays as the town honored King, the civil rights leader. After the celebration, attendees gathered in the cafeteria for refreshments, community service activities and an opportunity to network with different organizations.
Members of Natick High School Peer Advocates collaborated on a poem that mixed King's words with their thoughts and personal challenges with cultural and other differences.
People should not be afraid to speak out. Walls of hate and ignorance keep society from a better world. "I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word," they said.
Peer Advocates are student leaders who work to make the high school a place where students feel comfortable being themselves. The group helps students have difficult conversations about topics such as racism. They hope to spread their messages to a broader audience by participating in Monday's ceremony, said senior Anika Sharma.
Kennedy Middle School student Leah Steinman, one of the other two winning essayists, used poetry to imagine a fictional meeting with King in which King told her to fight with her best and never use violence.
People should do as King said and "look to a day when people will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character," Natick High School essay winner Simon Safran said.
"But do not stop there. Do not stop until we live in a day where we do not judge others by their gender, sexuality, religion, political party, and anything else that makes them, them, because, is that not what MLK would do? Do not silence your enemies, rather correct them and teach them of your opinion, because, is that not what MLK would do?"
The students showed how to speak up and talk about what matters to them, skills Elizabeth Yang hopes her 7-year-old daughter, Evelyn Vang, picks up, Yang said after the celebration.
The Rev. Eric Markman of Hartford Street Presbyterian Church urged people to bring the messages of Natick students to everyone.
"Today, I feel so hopeful our young people are coming up in a way that will change this nation," he said.
Brian Benson can be reached at 508-626-3964 or bbenson@wickedlocal.com. Follow him on Twitter @bbensonmwdn.