Jennings, who has lived as a girl since age 5, has never been afraid to speak out, educating the likes of Barbara Walters and Oprah Winfrey (and their millions of viewers) about the transgender experience when she was still in middle school. But this year, Jennings emerged as a full-blown public figure, starring in an ad campaign for Clean & Clear (tagline: “See the real me”) and inviting cameras to film her everyday routine—shopping for bathing suits, going to soccer practice—for the TLC docu-series I Am Jazz, whose premiere lured more than 1.3 million viewers. “The main thing that really keeps me motivated in continuing to share my story,” Jennings told TIME in July, “is the fact that I know change is being created when I see people who tell me that I’ve really affected their lives. It’s just a beautiful thing.” —D.D.