An 11 year-old girl from Cambridge, Massachusetts is being credited for starting the movement to put a woman on U.S. currency after she wrote a letter to the president asking why our money did not feature any American heroines.

The Associated Press is reporting on the story of a girl known only as Sofia who was in the third grade when a project on historic American heroes made her wonder why there were no female heroes featured on U.S. currency.

She decided to write a letter to the president suggesting that there were many women who could be on dollars and collection coins like the ones from Gainesville Coins because of the important things they have done.

“I am writing to know why there aren’t more women on dollars/coins for the United States,” she wrote in 2014. “I think there should be more women on the dollars/coins of the United States because if there were no women there wouldn’t be men.”

Her list of suggestions included names such as Abigail Adams, Eleanor Roosevelt, Emily Dickinson, and Harriet Tubman.

While awaiting a response to her letter, the family heard President Obama reference a letter from a “Massachusetts girl” in a speech and wondered if it was Sofia. As it turned out – it was!

In February, 2015, a letter arrived from the White House from the President thanking Sofia for writing to him with “such a good idea.” He said her list was an impressive one, “and I must say you’re pretty impressive too.”

More than a year later, on her birthday, Sofia received her best birthday gift ever when she received a call from Valerie Jarrett, Senior Advisor to the president, to let her know that Harriet Tubman was selected to be the first woman on American currency in 100 years.

Thus far, Pocahontas and Martha Washington were the first women to appear on paper currency. In recent decades, Susan B. Anthony, Sacagawea and other first ladies have appeared on coins in limited circulation.

It was an historic moment for the country – and in the young life of Sofia.

“I was so happy and I was weeping,” the 11-year-old said about the moment she heard the news.

Sofia has a powerful message for young women everywhere. “If you really think about what you really want to change and put your heart and mind to it, then you can do anything.”

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