'Empathy For Others,' Texas Second-Grader Paisley Elliot Nominated For Kid's Version Of Nobel Peace Prize
GRAPEVINE, Texas (CBSDFW.COM) - Meet Paisley Elliot— A fun, light hearted second grader who happens to dedicate her spare time to improving the lives of others. So much so, last week she was nominated for The International Children's Peace Prize— an annual award given by a foundation in the Netherlands to kids who fight for children's rights.
"Because of all of the projects I've done all around the world! My first project was at my old school. I was collecting stuffed animals for kids and Syria," Paisley told CBS 11 News.
Since last October, every Tuesday, Paisley has camped outside of her house and inside of a tent— a project she calls 'Rise and Reunite' as a way to raise awareness for the families who have been separated at the Southern border.
"I send a letter and my first one was to Joe Biden. I said that if he comes down to my house and we get in to work too much, he can always spend the night at our house," Paisley said.
Paisley's mom, Tali Jones said her daughter's compassion is second nature.
"She's been very precocious and always really curious and inquisitive but I think the thing that really stuck early was her empathy for others," said Jones. "Her ability to understand what people might be going through whether that's being kicked on the playground or real world situations like the refugee crisis."
Paisley will have a drive-thru parade on Tuesday evening to celebrate her accomplishments.