Congratulations to Katja Davis (first girl on the Left) for being the youngest honoree at the “Shine Your Light” Tribute Concert in Orange County, California. Read about the event HERE.

As a 13 year old, Katja has spent countless hours studying acting, performing in plays, playing instruments, studying dance, and swimming on a swim team. She also has been very active at University Synagogue in Irvine, CA.

But Katja Davis is not your typical 13-year- old.  First, she has moved around a lot. She has lived in Pennsylvania, Minnesota, and now California. Another way she different is her outlook on life.

A few years ago, Katya had the unfortunate experience of being teased and treated poorly by a peer at school. Instead of choosing to feel sorry for herself, choosing to let someone else deal with, or even just choosing to feel like a victim—-Katja decided to choose to make a difference.

Accept-me.com, an anti-bullying movement spreading the word about accepting differences in individuals was Katja’s choice.

To quote her site, “Be the catalyst for change. We live in a world where people believe that it is ok to hate people who don’t meet the status quo. But all of us are different. We believe that this status quo is however we choose to define it. And it is time to love each other. Support each other. Accept each other. It is a campaign, It is a movement. It is a revolution.”

Katja took an unfortunate situation that she experienced, and turned it around so that she can do her best to prevent it happening. She asks that you join her, make a promise with your friends, a pinkie-promise in fact, that you will accept, support and love others.

So, in tribute to Katja and her ambitious and critical revolution, I ask all of you to join pinkies with the person next to you, I will do it in the air for anyone who does not have a pinkie next to them…And we say, in Katja’s words, “We believe it is time to change what is acceptable. Who is acceptable. And we PROMISE to make a change for the better.”