Amariyanna Copeny is only 8-years-old but she already knows the power of the pen. When she and her family were on their way to Washington to attend Congressional hearings on the Flint water crisis, she wrote a letter to President Obama asking him to meet with the visiting residents. “My mom said chances are you will be too busy with more important things, but there is a lot of people coming on these buses and even just a meeting from you or your wife would really lift people’s spirits,” wrote Amariyanna, who goes by Mari. Her mom was right—the president was not able to meet with her when she was in town.