She is building a memorial for the brave women of WWII

Back in 2017, 10-year-old Raya Kenney realized there were no monuments devoted to the women who kept the country running during World War II. So it became her mission to give them the honor they deserve

- Kellie B. Gormly

What else did these amazing women do during World War II? Washington, D.C., fifth-grader Raya Kenney thought as she watched the movie A League of Their Own. Raya was in awe of the women who became professional baseball players to boost morale while the men fought in Europe and the Pacific.

Captivated by how these women boldly stepped outside their traditional roles, Raya began to dig deeper. She soon discovered Rosie the Riveter—the iconic symbol of an estimated 18 million American women who took on vital roles in agriculture, medicine, aviation and manufacturing, mastering jobs like welding, riveting and operating heavy machinery.

Wow, these women are incredible, Raya thought. But as she walked through the National Mall in Washington, D.C., something struck her: There were so few monuments honoring women.

This isn’t right, Raya thought, her heart breaking. These women deserve more. As if on cue, her Social Studies teacher, Kathryn Roth, gave the class a challenge: create a monument honoring someone who hadn’t yet been recognized.