Madeleine Albright

Hello! My name is Madeleine Albright. I was born on May 15th, 1937, in a beautiful city called Prague, which was in a country named Czechoslovakia. When I was just a baby, my family had to leave our home because it wasn't safe for us anymore. We moved to a country called England. After a few years there, we had to move again. In 1948, when I was eleven years old, my family and I sailed on a big ship all the way to America to start a new life. It was a little scary to leave everything behind, but it was also very exciting to think about what was next.

I loved America right away! Everything was so new and interesting to me. I knew it was important to learn, so I worked very hard in school. I practiced speaking English and studied all about my new country's history. In 1957, I became a U.S. citizen, which was a very special day that made me so proud. I went to college and decided to study all about different countries and how they get along with each other. I was so curious about the world and I dreamed of finding a way to help people and countries work together peacefully.

As I grew up, I got to work for the government, helping our country's leaders make important decisions. In 1993, I was given a very important job as the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. The United Nations is like a giant club where leaders from almost every country in the world can gather to talk about their problems and find peaceful solutions. I even had a fun secret code! I would wear different pins on my jacket—like a butterfly, a balloon, or a bee. Each pin was a message to show what I was thinking or how I was feeling without saying a single word.

Then, in 1997, something truly amazing happened. The president, Bill Clinton, asked me to be the Secretary of State. This is one of the most important jobs in the whole country! The Secretary of State is the top diplomat, which means their job is to travel the world to talk with leaders from other countries and help keep the peace. I was so honored because I was the very first woman to ever have this job. I wanted to show every girl that they could grow up to be anything they wanted to be, even a leader for the whole world.

I lived a very full and exciting life, and I always tried my best to make the world a better, more peaceful place. In 2012, I received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, which is the highest honor a person who is not in the military can receive in America. I lived to be 84 years old. Today, people remember me as a girl who came to America for safety and grew up to become a strong voice for her new country. My story helps show everyone that women can be powerful leaders who help make the world a safer home for all.