JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Her future is bright. Starbright that is.
Known to her online followers as Astronaut Starbright, a local high school student, has been named one of PEOPLE's 'Girls Changing the World in 2021'.
Taylor Richardson, 18 attends The Bolles School in Jacksonville. She recently received the designation as part of PEOPLE's effort to honor of International Day of the Girl on Oct. 11. The day, historically, is a celebration of young innovators and trailblazers making a difference in their communities.
"Richardson has always had a fascination with the cosmos," reports PEOPLE. "But at 9, while attending space camp, she realized she was the only Black girl — a pivotal moment that sparked a commitment to diversifying STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) fields."
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Last year, Richardson raised more than $17,000 to help bail out young people who were arrested during Black Lives Matter protests across the country.
She has also raised money for several other causes, like more than $4,000 for childcare for frontline workers during the pandemic. Richardson has won awards from Teen Vogue and GoFundMe, among others, for her work. She also has a mural in Jacksonville dedicated to her.
Richardson and her grandma have held back-to-school jamborees over the past several years in Jacksonville. They've donated more than 1,200 backpacks to students in the area. The partnership with The Alpha Startz has raised more than $15,000 to provide school supplies and backpacks to underserved youth in Jacksonville.
She also adopted six families in December for Christmas.