With recent controversial political events including judge Brett Kavanaugh’s appointment to the Supreme Court, the attack against the press and the controversy over assault weapons, many Montgomery County students have been standing up to have their voices heard by participating in protests and registering to vote. However, one CHS student has been working with extraordinary diligence, and TIME magazine has noticed.

Senior Dani Miller, along with several other students from the DMV, recently did a photoshoot with TIME for the magazine’s spread about student activism.

“TIME contacted my friend Michael Nevitt and asked for a list of gun control activists in DC for their spread about teen gun control activists throughout the country,” Miller said. “[TIME] reached out to me shortly after that and asked me to be on the cover, and then we had the photoshoot on the first day of school.”

After the shoot, Miller and her friends were interviewed for the story.

According to Miller, TIME asked them to speak their opinions instead of giving them specific questions, and told the students everything they said would go straight from their mouths to the article.

“I talked about how sometimes it’s harder to help organize a movement than it seems,” Miller said. “We aren’t going out every weekend protesting, getting arrested, talking to politicians who do not listen to us and calling the police for permits because we enjoy it or because it is fun; we do this every day because we believe we are the people that have to change things and no one else is going to do it for us.”

Miller has not been afraid to embrace her voice to stand up for what she thinks is right. Besides her cover for TIME, she spent her summer lobbying, planning future advocacy events and participating in marches. Miller is also president of MoCo4Change, a student-run organization advocating against gun violence.

“My favorite thing about her work ethic is her [willingness to let the MoCo4Change staff work independently],” Poolesville student and Director of Field Organization for MoCo4Change Anusha Chinthalapale said. “She allows the committees to function independently and lets us reach out to her as we please. Dani establishes a working relationship with people by basing the foundation in friendship.”

As the president of MoCo4Change, Miller worked with the organization March For Our Lives on their tour “Road to Change” when they came to the District of Columbia and helped with a march on NRA offices on the birthday of Joaquin Oliver, a victim of the Parkland shooting.

“His parents came and made a mural demanding change, which was very sad, beautiful and inspiring,” Miller said.

Miller also worked on David Blair’s political campaign for county executive as a field organizer, representing him at events and canvassing for him. Although he lost by 77 votes, Miller enjoyed every minute of her experience.

Aside from being an inspiring young activist, Miller is also an incredible poet. When she was not busy protesting, planning and working on Blair’s campaign, she was traveling with the DC Youth Slam Team and competing in the poetry slam Brave New Voices, using her artistic gifts to further influence her community and peers.

“In my two years in the DC Youth Slam Team, I have never had the honor of being around anyone like Dani,” team member Aniyah Nikki said. “She embodies everything she protests and brings strength into her poetry and performance.”

Miller plans to continue her political activism by working on political campaigns for the 2020 elections and making sure MoCo4Change stays strong long after she graduates. She also wants to expand her movements outside of high school.

“We might not see the change we are aiming to make in our lifetime, because change is slow and takes time,” Miller said. “But it is going to happen.”