"My message is to be kind to others." Maya Delgado

Maya Delgado of Dallas, TX, is home-schooled in the morning, and plays the guitar, sings, dances and acts in the afternoon at the elite Septien Entertainment Group, whose alumni include Selena Gomez and Jessica Simpson. She's only nine years old, but she already knows there are lots of talented children from military families who want to pursue the arts but can't afford to.

                                                                                                                         Photo credit: WFAA
"So I begged my parents and said, 'Please can I have a 501 C-3 to help these very amazing and talented kids?' They finally said 'Yes' and I was so happy." She wasn't sure what to call her charity until she noticed a beautiful picture of hearts she painted when she was five. "I saw my painting and I thought, Hearts of Maya." The charity's board of advisors are all young people and so far it has given away thousands of dollars in scholarships. One recipient was Isaac Smith, who acts and dances. He explains, "You have older people and adults that do this, and the fact that she is a little girl and can do all of this is amazing." To learn more, visit heartsofmaya.org