When I decided to enter this competition, I really had no idea what I wanted to make my video about...or what message I wanted to share. After brainstorming, I realized that without democracy, the ability to voice our opinions in competitions like this would be non-existent. That is when I came up with the theme, "Without Democracy We Don't Have a Voice."

I asked kids from the local high schools, middle schools, and even colleges, from Washington D.C. to Pennsylvania, to send me pictures of what democracy means to them.

While our generation is constantly scrutinized for "not paying attention," and for being "too invested in social media," these kids had a better understanding of what democracy means than some adults do.

It is my hope that with this video, we all will realize the freedoms granted to us because of democracy...because people lose their lives fighting for these freedoms everyday.

Democracy gives us a voice.