ST. CHARLES COUNTY, Mo. — A person doesn’t need to be a grown-up to do big things.
Haleigh Ingram is only a fifth grader at Becky-David Elementary School in the Francis Howell School District. But she is already trying to empower her classmates.
“If someone told you, you can’t do anything, you can do it even better,” she said.
Haleigh is delivering her message of inspiration with a book she wrote and had published.
“She was seven when she first wrote the book,” said her mom, Tamika Johnson.
Haleigh was motivated by her mother to write her book called “I Am: Everything they said I couldn’t be.”
“When I [saw] how focused she was writing her book it really inspired me,” Haleigh said.
“I strongly believe that our children don’t always do what we say but they do what we do,” her mom told 5 On Your Side.
Haleigh’s book centers around telling the history-making stories of five Black American women. They are Harriet Tubman, Sojourner Truth, Rosa Parks, Madame C.J. Walker and former First Lady Michelle Obama.
“Some of the most amazing Black women in the entire world. I feel like it’s not only men who make sacrifice to make the world a better place. Women also do really important things,” she said.
“She’s like OK, well women have done just as many great things as men. Why don’t we always hear of the greater stories of women of all races and how they contribute,” Johnson said.
But while women are her examples, Haleigh wrote her book with everyone in mind.
“My book is not just for girls. My book is for anyone, any age,” she explained.
The stories are meant to encourage the reader to accomplish tough tasks. Haleigh got a boost to her self-esteem by writing them.
“Before I wrote this book, I had like a 10 confidence. But now I have like a million confidence,” she said.
She believes writing the book is just her beginning.
“I want to do a lot of things. I’m like this now, imagine what I am going to be when I grow up,” she said.
Haleigh’s mom feels her daughter has the mindset to do everything she dreams of doing.
“Everything that she sets out to do it’s like to the 100th power. You know how the saying goes – the sky is the limit. I don’t believe there is a limit for Haleigh,” she said.
If you are interest in buying Haleigh’s book, click here.