America Ferrera

Speaker America Ferrera is perhaps best known for her Emmy Award-winning portrayal of "Betty Suarez" on the ABC hit comedy Ugly Betty, but she is also a devoted humanitarian who dedicates her time, energy, and dazzling star power to generating attention to the causes that are near and dear to her heart, particularly those impacting children and their education.

A gifted and fearless actress, Ferrera received a Special Jury Award for acting with her debut in Real Women Have Curves, a performance she followed up with roles in such films as Lords of Dogtown, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, and the Oscar-nominated animated film How to Train Your Dragon. Most recently, she appeared in The Dry Land, which premiered at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival and which Ferrera also executive produced.

A staunch believer that one person can truly make a difference if they only try, Ferrera, an artist ambassador for Save the Children, helped raise more than $44,000 to build a new elementary school in Mali, an accomplishment that garnered her the 2011 Global Action award for Childhood Development and Education. She also recently traveled to India with New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof to take part in the PBS film Half the Sky, which draws a compelling picture of the trials and triumphs of women worldwide as they struggle for opportunity and equality.

In 2010, Ferrera was awarded the Hispanic Heritage Foundation's Inspira Award, which recognized her contributions as a role model through her work as an actress and activist.