I chose Carolyn Ferriday as my Unsung Hero.  She was an amazing woman who helped save many lives of women in concentration camps during World War II. I admire how she risked her life for the benefit of women whom she did not know. I think that young girls should learn about Ferriday’s work to see that if you stand for something you can change the lives of people. She is kind, smart, and cares for others above all. 

Carolyn spoke out about the crimes and abuse happening at Ravensbruck concentration camp. After the war, she went to meet some of these women and brought them back to the U.S. for medical assistance. She was known as the “Godmother” to many of the women and took care of their physical and mental health.

In my art piece, I am showing the horrors the women were going through in these concentration camps and how Carolyn raised awareness to stop it. As shown in my piece, these women, nicknamed “lapin” (rabbit), were forced to take pills. They were called lapins because they were used as testers in harsh and sometimes fatal medical tests. I wanted to portray her in the middle of this scene and show how she put herself in danger and how she is courageous. I wanted to show a three dimensional scene combining both photos and items, and I researched old artifacts and documents so I could paste them on the walls. I looked up photos of the Ravensbruck concentration camps to get an idea of what the conditions were like.

My unsung hero, Carolyn Ferriday, showed me that if you believe in a cause and work hard you can make a difference and change lives. I hope people hear these horrible stories and realize people are humans no matter their religion, race, or social status. My artwork highlights her impact on a vulnerable community and how she helped reshape their lives.