#IStandWithAhmed

So you're a young genius, yes? You should be able to show off your talents, or so you think.

Ahmed Mohamed, a 14 year old high school freshman at MacArthur High School, enjoys inventing things and if you ask me, he's rather good at it. With his own circuit board and metal case, Ahmed was able to construct his own clock. When he showed his teacher his proud accomplishment, he was not expecting her to assume it was a ticking time 'hoax' bomb. Ahmed told the Dallas Morning News "It made me feel like I wasn't human. . . It made me feel like a criminal." Once the story went public, an uproar of angry citizens resulted with local police chief Larry Boyd insisting that pressing charges wouldn't be of concern. 

A petition has been started on Change.org with a goal of 7,500 signatures to require the school and local police to apologize to Ahmed for "criminalizing science" and racially profiling him. Ever since his story has been shared, the hashtag #IStandWithAhmed has gone viral. Anil Dash, a tech entrepreneur created a Google Docs form for anyone that wants to use their creativity to help Ahmed. 

The school was not expecting Ahmed to receive such praise while serving him punishment. MIT contacted this young boy (with a little time to spare before cramming for college) so he could visit in the near future. Just a few of the endorsements from celebrities, politicans, and public figures that have weighed in and made a difference.

Will you let what you look like stop you from doing something you want? If you do, how could you achieve the impossible? Who knew something so good could come from something so bad? You can make a change, decide if it will be for better or for worse. 

xoxo, Kaila