Michaela DePrince (1995-present)

Michaela DePrince is a ballet dancer originally from Sierra Leone. Due to the Sierra Leone Civil War, she became an orphan at a young age. Her vitiligo caused people in her country to look down upon her and abuse her. Before an American family adopted her, she was inspired to pursue ballet by a magazine floating in the wind. In America, she broke the racial barriers of ballet and continued to train and hone her skills. She joined the Dutch National Junior Academy at 18 years old and was ranked as a soloist ballerina at age 25. Now she continues to help underprivileged children, write books, and acts as an Ambassador for War Child Netherlands.