Megan Pierre
Twelfth Grade, Alonzo and Tracy Mourning Senior High
Ever since Megan was younger, she knew she wanted to make a difference in her community, starting with youth. Megan and a group of peers entered the FTX Hackathon challenge in December for a chance to receive funds to open a program that improved the mental health of Miami-Dade residents. Megan and her peers came up with the idea of opening a music program where students ages 6-13 can improve their mental health with songwriting and learning to play instruments. Their idea led them to present in front of Kevin O’Leary from Shark Tank, Udonis Haslem, Davis Ortiz, and Whitney Cummings. After presenting, Megan and her team were awarded $50,000 to open Hear Me Out to the youth of Miami-Dade County. The goal of Hear Me Out is to create a safe space to use music as a powerful outlet for youth experiencing mental health issues. In 2018 Megan started the Hear Me Out program. She fueled her focus on improving wellness and mental health for others and hopes to one day become a cardiologist. As she looks to the future, Megan looks forward to continuing to help her community in as many ways as she can.