Angelina Jolie: a mother to all She was born Angelina Jolie Voight in Los Angeles, on June 4, 1975 - her name means Pretty Little Angel. Her parents, Jon Voight and Marcheline Bertrand, divorced when she was one year old. Therefore, he lived with his mother on the East Coast. Living there, Jolie was a happy child. He had a normal childhood. At age 11, his mother moved the family back to Los Angeles. They had already moved often, making Jolie feel constantly uprooted. "I've always dreamed," she says, "of having an attic full of things I could go up and look at." (Tiscali) As a student at Beverly Hills High School, she wasn't alone in her cinematic ambitions. But she certainly felt alone among all those beautiful, spoiled children, children who teased her horribly because she wore braces and glasses and was so painfully thin. Unlike the other parents, Marcheline was not rich, so Angelina also had to look for her clothes in second-hand shops like Aardvark. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Now, Jolie has become one of the most glamorous women in Hollywood. Daring to be different, perhaps to the point of being bizarre, Jolie never loses sight of her important role as a concerned global citizen and active UNHCR goodwill ambassador. Jolie's involvement with the UNHCR began with a mission to Sierra Leone, a small African country devastated by years of brutal civil war. Seeing firsthand the enormous challenges refugees face was a life-changing experience for Angelina, who decided to use her fame to help their cause. In 2001 she was appointed UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador. As a UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador, Angelina uses her superstar status to generate media coverage about the plight of refugees and the conditions in which they live. He has traveled extensively to remote refugee camps and reception centers in countries including Tanzania, Namibia, Cambodia, Pakistan, Thailand and Ecuador. For her efforts, Angelina was awarded the Humanitarian Award from the Church World Service Immigration and Refugee Program. “He does it in a very discreet tone,” said UNHCR spokesman Peter Kessler. “She goes out to see for herself, to get up close and personal. He doesn't travel with film crews and I think that's a true testament to his dedication to the cause. (CNN) Another important role that Angelina Jolie takes on is that of a mother of children. Maddox, Zahara and Pax. “They are the greatest little people I have ever met and they bring me so much joy,” Jolie said. (ABC News) All three children are adopted from third world countries. Maddox from Cambodia, Zahara from Ethiopia and Pax from Vietnam. Americans have been adopting from all over the world for many years. The highest adoption numbers in 2004 came from China, Russia and Guatemala. Ethiopia's adoption rate is much lower due to lack of awareness, but things appear to be changing. Since Jolie adopted Zahara, international adoption agencies in the United States say inquiries into Ethiopian children have doubled. By adopting children, Jolie is once again using her status in Hollywood to raise awareness of children who need saving. Jolie hopes more people will follow in her footsteps and discover the benefits of saving a baby who might otherwise not live to see their first birthday. (Imdb)Jolie is known as much for her humanitarian work and adoptions as she is for her film roles. In her early years, Angelina has.