There are many different people influencing and changing the world for the better, through their compassionate, advocating, and fearless efforts. Here are the top 3 that have made their mark on 2015:

Malala Yousafzai the youngest-ever Nobel Prize winner. On October 9, 2012, a gunman shot Malala when she was traveling home from school. She survived, and has continued to speak out on the importance of education. In 2015, a documentary of Malala’s life was released called, ‘He named me Malala’. She continues to raise money and stand strong as a Pakistani activist for female education.

Pope Francis Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected the 266th pope of the Roman Catholic Church in March 2013, becoming Pope Francis. He is the first Pope from the Americas. His views are more open than your average pope, according to The New York Times, he told the press: “If someone is gay and he searches for the Lord and has good will, who am I to judge?” He continues to be a very important spiritual  leader, and presenting new values and opinions in the Catholic church, as well as the world.

Laverne Cox is a dancer and actress, as well as one of the stars of Orange Is the New Black, and the first openly transgender person in history to receive an Emmy nomination. Cox is also the producer behind the documentaries The T Word (2014), which follows the lives of several trans youth, and Free CeCe, which tells the story of an imprisoned trans woman. She has continued to be an important advocate for trans and LGBT rights.