Rebel Girls Celebrate Neurodiversity: 25 Tales of Creative Thinkers
6 4 CONTENTS FOREWORD BY ISABELLA SPRING MÜHL AMANDA GORMAN Poet BILLIE EILISH Singer-Songwriter BREANNA CLARK Runner 8 10 CAMILLA PANG Scientist and Author 12 CHAMIQUE HOLDS CLAW Basketball Player 14 DARIA SAVILLE Tennis Player 16 ES MÉ WEIJUN WANG Author 18 FAHIMA ABDULRAHMAN Video Journalist GRETA THUNBERG Climate Activist JILLIAN GALL AYC Wrestler JIYA RA Swimmer JULIA BASCOM Activist and Executive Director KE IS HA CASTLE-HUGHES Actor LISA LING Journalist MADELINE STUART Model MAGGIE ADERIN-POCOCK Space Scientist and Science Communicator 20 22 24 26 28 30 32 34 36 ONYI NYE UDOKPORO Author Entrepreneur and Educator 38 PAIGE LAYL Activist and Influencer 40 POLETH MENDES Shot Putter 42 SALMA HAYE K Actor 44 SARAI PAHLA Doctor and Medical Translator 46 SERINA HASEGAWA Singer 48 SIENA CASTELLON Author and Advocate 50 SUSAN TE KAHURANGIKING Artist 52 TEMPLE GRANDIN Professor of Animal Sciences 54 KEEP THINKING CREATIVELY ABOUT THE AUTHOR THE ILLUSTRATORS ABOUT REBEL GIRLS 56 60 61 62
Dear Rebels FOREWORD My name is Isabella Springmühl I'm 26 years old I am from Guatemala and I am a fashion designer I speak all over the world about entrepreneurship and employment inclusion for people with disabilities What I love most about myself is that I have Down syndrome Down syndrome means my brain works differently than other people's and it's just one example of neurodiversity From a young age I had the opportunity to attend a traditional school which gave me great confidence even though connecting with my peers wasn't always easy My mother took it upon herself to educate and inform my teachers about Down syndrome She had the brilliant idea of writing a book so that my classmates could also learn about this condition They learned about me and in turn I learned about them Today I know that being different made me strive harder and with the support of a shadow teacher and curriculum adaptations I graduated college My classmates even chose me to deliver the graduation speech I dreamed of pursuing a degree in fashion design but I was turned down by two universities in Guatemala It wasn't because I lacked talent or knowledge It was because I had Down syndrome I felt devastated because for the first time in my life Down syndrome was a reason to be denied an opportunity But I didn't let that stop me My journey as a fashion designer began with a passion for beautiful clothes and jewelry which turned into a thriving business positively impacting the lives of many Guatemalan artists I developed a unique and self-taught creative process I make vibrant pieces crafted from pre-loved Guatemalan fabrics With the help of a wonderful all girl team I bring my ideas creativity and deep love for my country to life The most challenging part of my journey has been dealing with the lack of understanding about my condition But understanding comes with knowledge That's why books like this one are so important Through them people all over 4
5 the world can learn what it means to be neurodivergent and neurodivergent readers can see themselves on the page I'm excited for you to read about the incredible neurodivergent women in Rebel Girls Celebrate Neurodiversity Some are autistic some are dyslexic some have ADHD and all have achieved great things I particularly love Temple Grandin's story Not only does her life inspire me but her famous phrase Different not less echoes constantly in my mind To me this means that no matter what we face we deserve to have the opportunities to grow develop and be included in our society Similarly the remarkable story of Madeline Stuart who shattered beauty stereotypes and demonstrated that fashion is for everyone really resonates with me These are just a couple of the inspiring neurodivergent women you'll meet in this book These Rebels show that resilience and creativity are the most important ingredients when you're following your dreams With love imagination hard work and most of all embracing your uniqueness you can turn your dreams into reality Isabella Springmühl
