Elizabeth Torres

“We won’t stumble. We’ve come to save the world.” It sounds a little different, but it means the same thing in Spanish: “Hemos venido a salvar el mundo.”

That’s a line from Elizabeth Torres’ poem “Heroes,” in her new bilingual book, “Because the Flame is Alive.” The Colombian-born poet started writing at age 5. Her inspiration came from her native country where she saw children trading pens for guns.

Now, this 19-year-old poet and motivational speaker travels across the United States and Latin America with the message in her poem: Be a leader today, not tomorrow. And whether it’s in English or in Spanish, Torres’ idea that young people can succeed translates no matter what language they speak.

Check out some of Torres’ poems here.

Update: Watch the CNN.com Live Video interview

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