In her moving TEDxChapmanU talk, Erin shares how she chose to become a teacher who believed in change, and who believed her students could decide their own future instead of becoming another victim of gang-related violence or teen pregnancy. She walks the audience through her and her students' journey to chronicle their own stories, mirroring some of the most iconic figures in history.

Erin Gruwell has earned an award-winning reputation for her steadfast commitment to the future of education. Her impact as a change agent runs deep. So deep, in fact, that her story attracted Hollywood's attention. In January 2007, Paramount Pictures released "Freedom Writers," starring two-time Oscar winner Hilary Swank as Erin. The film is based on "The Freedom Writers Diary," the "New York Times" bestseller that chronicled Erin's extraordinary journey with 150 high school students who had been written off by the education system.

Today, her impact as a teacher extends well beyond her 150 students. Erin founded the Freedom Writers Foundation where she currently teaches teachers around the country how to implement her innovative lesson plans into their own classrooms. Erin is a graduate of the University of California Irvine, where she received the Lauds and Laurels Distinguished Alumni Award. She earned her master's degree and teaching credentials from California State University Long Beach, where she was honored as Distinguished Alumna by the School of Education.

This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at http://ted.com/tedx