I have chosen St Nicholas mainly because he is our family saint and we celebrate St Nicholas as our saint’s day (slava).

Nicholas  was born during the third century in the village of Patara. At the time the area was Greek and is now on the southern coast of Turkey. His wealthy parents, who raised him to be a devout Christian, died in an epidemic while Nicholas was still young.

Obeying Jesus' words to "sell what you own and give the money to the poor," Nicholas used his whole inheritance to assist the needy, the sick, and the suffering. He dedicated his life to serving God and was made Bishop of Myra while still a young man. Bishop Nicholas became known throughout the land for his generosity to the those in need, his love for children, and his concern for sailors and ships.

Under the Roman Emperor Diocletian, who ruthlessly persecuted Christians, Bishop Nicholas suffered for his faith, was exiled and imprisoned. The prisons were so full of bishops, priests, and deacons, there was no room for the real criminals—murderers, thieves and robbers. After his release, Nicholas attended the Council of Nicaea in AD 325.

He died December 6, AD 343 in Myra and was buried in his cathedral church, where a unique relic, called manna, formed in his grave. This liquid substance, said to have healing powers, fostered the growth of devotion to Nicholas. The anniversary of his death became a day of celebration, St. Nicholas Day, December 6th (December 19 on the Julian Calendar).

Through the centuries many stories and legends have been told of St. Nicholas' life and deeds. These accounts help us understand his extraordinary character and why he is so beloved and revered as protector and helper of those in need.

Research a modern-day female political leader that you think has had great influence in making and changing laws. Provide a mini-biography and explain why you chose her.

 Rania Al Abdullah is the current Queen consort of Jordan as the wife of King Abdullah II of Jordan.

Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah was born Rania Al Yaseen in Kuwait on the 31st Of August 1970. She was just an ordinary Palestinian girl whose father worked as a children’s doctor in one of Kuwait’s Hospitals, but then she became the wife of Prince Abdullah Bin Al Hussein of Jordan who later became the King after his father’s death. She studied Computer Science along with Business & Administrations at the American University in Cairo, Egypt.

Queen Rania is involved in many charity activities. Over the past few years, Queen Rania has launched, championed, and given patronage to several initiatives in education and learning. She dedicates a lot of her time to The Jordan River Children Project which helps the poorer sector of society in finding jobs and raising their level of living. She also supervises the children of the Jordan River Project that deals with child abuse. The Jordanian and Palestinian people have great hopes in the role that the Queen Of Jordan is playing, which is considered the link between Jordan and Palestine, a role that the late King Hussein’s third wife the Palestinian Queen Alia had also played.Her Majesty helps with the King’s popularity among the Jordanian’s with Palestinian origins. Her children's book The Sandwich Swap, advocating cultural tolerance, was published last year and quickly became a New York Times Best Seller. Queen Rania uses online social-networking tools such as YouTube, Facebook and Twitter. She was also ranked as the third most beautiful woman in the world by Harpers and Queen magazine in 2005.