Arjun Subramaniam (9) spoke at this year’s We Day on March 26 at Oracle Arena in Oakland.

The event is held a few times each year in various locations in the United States and Canada, and brings together students, actors, speakers, athletes, singers, and others focused on making a difference in the world.

We Day is hosted by Free the Children, a charity organization that encourages children to make a difference in the world for other children. They focus on a variety of different causes, including ending child labor and helping provide citizens in developing countries with education and clean water sources.

Arjun describes the event as “a collective movement of young people who want to make a difference.”

Arjun joined Free the Children last year, even holding an assembly at the middle school to educate his peers on the global issue of child labor. When We Day came to California, he was asked to speak at the event.

“When they came to California they asked the Mountain View office who they would like to speak there, because they have a local person who is involved in the cause speak about the story of the person who inspired the founder,” he said.

Arjun spoke about Iqbal Masih, whose story inspired the founders, Craig and Marc Kielburger to start Free the Children. He talked about his experience speaking in front of a crowd of thousands.

“There were all these people [who] had done a lot of community service, because that was a requirement to come to We Day, so there was just a collective power in that room,” he said. “I think that when you’re up there in front of that many people who are with you, who are understanding your story, it really makes you feel like you are empowering thousands of people.”

The event was hosted by Rico and Raini Rodriguez and featured many celebrities including Selena Gomez, Magic Johnson, Martin Luther King III, Evanna Lynch, Seth Rogen, and more. Arjun was able to meet many of these figures, and recalled his interesting encounter with former N.B.A. player, Magic Johnson.

“I was waiting to go to the bathroom, and then the door opens and Magic Johnson walks out. That was pretty awesome, waiting in the bathroom for Magic Johnson, and then his head knocked against the doorframe,” he said.

Arjun expressed his biggest takeaway from his We Day experience.

“I think that being at We Day was transformative in terms of seeing the collective power of so many people. I think that when you put that many people in a room who are inspired to make a difference, there’s really a lot that you can do.”

The next We Day will be held next Wednesday in Ottawa, Canada.

This article was originally published in the pages of the Winged Post on April 4, 2014