THE BUTTON-PUSHING ORATOR

Meera Hartman, Charleston

The Capitol High School valedictorian whose graduation speech calling out the education system went viral

EDUCATION FOR THE WIN

“The foundational education I got at Montessori was really beneficial. I began reading for fun probably younger than most. I attended the Governor’s School for the Arts between sophomore and junior year for creative writing and got exposed to a lot of impactful figures and creative writers from around the state. In West Virginia there are a lot of beautiful stories that go untold, and I think people don’t always believe in their own voice here.”

THE SPEECH HEARD ’ROUND THE WORLD

“I didn’t want to tell people things they already knew. I wanted to maybe agitate, push for some critical sort of thought, which is almost always lacking at school events.”

INSPIRATION SOURCE

“I think about my grandparents, who live here. My grandmother came to the United States when she was 18 and pregnant. She was learning English and navigating rural America on her own, entirely on her own, and ended up here. I think about this state and its immigrant population and how often we get a bad rep for being close-minded, and how much it’s so much the opposite.”

CHECK OUT OUR OTHER 2021 WEST VIRGINIA WONDER WOMEN

LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR WONDER WOMEN

Since 2014 WV Living magazine has been honoring West Virginia Wonder Women, amazing women who are raising the bar in their communities, serving as beacons of light in their industries, and forcing change for the greater good. WV Living is proud to celebrate these Appalachian mothers, millennials, and mavens proving that in a time full of uncertainty, divisiveness, and hate, love for one another is all we really need. No need for bulletproof bracelets or a golden lasso of truth—these women are creating a better West Virginia with their can-do attitudes and Mountain State spirit.