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A Timeline of Women-Driven Movements

A Timeline of Women-Driven Movements

Suffrage MovementThe suffrage movement was in a word, revolutionary. For one of the first times in American history, women stood up and made sure their voices were heard. Some well-known female leaders sprouted out of the movement, including Susan B. Anthony, Lucy Stone, and Ida B. Wells. The movement really began to pick up steam with the Seneca Falls Conven-tion in 1848 but was put on hold until after the Civil War when the National American Women’s Suffrage Association was created. To say this was a slow build would be putting it lightly. Eventually, a splinter group broke off to form the National Women’s Party and once again, a war slowed their progress, but they were determined to see it through. On August 26, 1920, the 19th Amendment was ratified and American women finally had the right to vote. Their tactics may have been radical at times, with hunger strikes and White House pickets, but because of the women who fought for years to be treated as equals, every female American citizen has the right to vote the moment they turn 18.

Feminist MovementThe 1960s and 70s were the beginning of a change in how women were perceived in the United States. Women were ready to shed the expectations of earlier generations and start making a name for themselves outside of the home. This second wave of feminism redefined what it meant to be a woman in America. The need for change was building for years, and the frustrations were starting to be talked about in public on a mass scale. They began to demand change and formed the National Organization for Women (NOW). It was yet another slow build as they tried to make their voices heard, and radical groups began to form across the country. The movement did not achieve what it set out to do in terms of passing the Equal Rights Amendment, but the women who drove this movement gave a voice to those who needed to be heard and set a precedent for future women that they could inspire change and step out of the box society had put them in.

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Women’s MarchDespite all the efforts of past generations to create equality, we’re not quite there yet. This doesn’t mean that we sim-ply accept that things may never change; this is the time when we fight back and demand change. This is exactly what the organizers of the Women’s March set out to do. This march spanned the globe - the main event happened in Washington D.C. and sister marches popped up in New Zealand, South Africa, Italy, Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Spain, and so many others where women stood in solidarity for something that effects each and every one of them. The marches took place January 21, 2017, a day after the inauguration of Donald Trump. Feeling threatened with the uncertainty of their future under a president, who on multiple occasions had total disregard for women, they joined together to make their voices heard. It’s true that women have come leaps and bounds since the time of the suf-frage movement, but there’s still work to be done, and these women are committed to doing it.

Time’s Up/Me TooDuring the past year or so, we have seen countless famous men get toppled off their platforms due to these move-ments. What started off as a hashtag to show the extent of sexual harassment and assault that women still face soon grew into a movement that took down the likes of Harvey Weinstein, Ryan Seacrest, Matt Lauer, Louis C.K., Roy Moore, Kevin Spacey, and dozens of others. The fallouts have been varied, and while almost all of them have not been found guilty of criminal acts, the public backlash has been astronomical. Shows and movies were canceled, busi-nesses were declared bankrupt, and there were massive losses of public support - all that shows a form of justice in and of itself. Out of this has grown the Time’s Up movement that is led by Hollywood celebrities as they demand change in the industry and the world. Every day, women are subjected to unwanted attention and find themselves in a position where they must choose between their body or their career. For too long there has been too much silence on the issue, but not anymore. Even if nothing truly comes of this, they are educating women and men and making it known that they have a choice and that the times of getting away with it are over.

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Local Female-Run Businesses

Khanisa Darby - Khanisa’s

Location: 74 N 4th St, Easton, PA 18042

Danielle Konya - Vegan Treats

Location: 1444 Linden St, Bethlehem, PA 18018

Kari Kirchgessner and Jill Fuls - Sweet Girlz

Location: 40 N 3rd St, Easton, PA 18042

Sarah Hinsch - Greenmouth Juice Bar and Cafe

Location: 134 N 2nd St, Easton, PA 18042

Go out and support these local businesses run by driven women!

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Famous Historical FemalesQueen Elizabeth IQueen Elizabeth I ruled England from 1558 to 1603 and many believe she was Eng-land’s greatest ruler. Her 45 year reign is known as the Elizabethan age. She made Eng-land a superpower and defeated the invincible Spanish Armada. She brought religious peace to the country and under her, England flourished in everything from arts to poli-tics. Even better, she did this all without a man by her side. Her advisors tried incessantly to get her to marry, but like any powerful ruler, she didn’t want to give up her power to a less deserving man simply because he was her husband. An entire country wouldn’t be as it is today if not for this exceptional woman.

Harriet TubmanDespite the fact, or more accurately, in spite of the fact that she was a slave, Harriet Tubman left a legacy well beyond that. She is perhaps the most famous “conductor” of the Underground Railroad that helped lead thousands of slaves escape. Harriet alone is responsible for helping hundreds get out of the South. She went to the South at least 19 times to save as many people as possible. And her work didn’t end there. She dedicated the rest of her life to helping African Americans create new lives for themselves in the North.

Clara BartonClara Barton was a nurse, a teacher, and the founder of the American Red Cross. During the Civil War she worked on her own to help wounded soldiers, often times going out to the front lines where she was needed the most. After the war, she worked in Europe with the International Committee of the Red Cross and helped to found the American Red Cross we still have today. As president, she personally never took wages for her work, ensuring it was a nonprofit organization. Today, the Red Cross is helping aid disaster survivors around the world and in our country, and it all started in America because of one nurse who wanted to help heal the thousands.

Alice PaulWhile not among one of the most talked-about suffragettes, Alice Paul certainly did a lot for the cause. She began her activism while in England where she was involved with radical suffragettes. When she returned to America, she joined the National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA), but eventually broke away from them and founded the National Women’s Party. She strove to make the country listen, even during World War I. Her efforts were successful and the right to vote was given to women in the Nineteenth Amendment. She continued to work for the betterment of women and inspired a whole new generation of women’s rights activists.

Elsa SchiaparelliFashion has the ability to define an era and influence style for years to come. Only spe-cial fashion designers have reached these levels of influence, and while Elsa may not be the name that everyone recalls, she was just as powerful. For those who really know fash-ion, she was revered. Her fashion was adored by some of the best-dressed women and she designed clothes for over 30 movies. Instead of sticking to the status quo she struck her own path in both her business and personal life. Even though she isn’t the most well known name in the fashion business, she is one of the most inspirational.

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Amelia EarhartThe myth, the legend, Amelia Earhart. We may never learn what truly hap-pened to her after she disappeared, but we do know that she conquered goals in a still male-dominated industry. She was the first woman to fly across the Atlantic Ocean and the first person to ever fly across both the Pacific and the Atlantic. She discovered her love of flying while a nurse’s aid for the Red Cross during WWI. She had to work hard to achieve her dreams, and she cer-tainly wasn’t going to let much stand in her way.

Audrey HepburnThe actress who defined an era. The style icon millions emulated. The lesser known hu-manitarian who helped hundreds of children. Audrey Hepburn and what she means to women is timeless. She is largely remembered for her acting career, but near the end of her life, she worked tirelessly as a UNICEF ambassador where she felt a personal connection to the children after surviving the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands. It is even rumored that she would dance at various venues to raise money for the underground movement during the occupation. Audrey is a perfect example of the woman hidden behind the glam. Her acting career was legendary, but she was so much more than that.

Jacqueline KennedyShe was the wife of one of the most powerful men in America. When people look at the style of the 1950s, they think of Jackie Kennedy. Even after her hus-band’s death she was revered for her poise and strength as she sat next to her husband as he died and stood next to the vice president as he was sworn into office, never blinking and never wavering. She worked to return the White House to its former glory and the country took notice. Everyone experiences hardships in their lives, but Jackie went through the worst times in her life with the whole world watching, thus becoming a symbol of strength in a grieving nation.

Sally RideAll across the world, little girls are telling their parents they want to be astronauts when they grow up. So many dream, yet it becomes a reality for so few. Sally Ride was one of those few who made her dreams come true. Not only did she travel to space, she was the first American woman to do so, and this was all after earning her master’s as a physicist. She re-ceived many accommodations for her work in space, including the NASA Space Flight Medal and induction into the National Women’s Hall of Fame. After her time as an astro-naut was over, she became a professor and even created her own company in order to in-spire other young women to pursue their dreams in STEM fields.

Rosa ParksRosa Parks was an everyday woman on her way home to her family, simply tired of the status quo, when she changed the course of American history. When she refused to give up her seat that day, Rosa not only pushed back against the driver, but the institution that had continued to force African Americans into submission and silence in the South. Her small protest led to one that captured the entire city and the attention of the country. This jump started the ca-reer of Martin Luther King Jr. and the events that eventually led to freedom for African Americans across the country. Rosa Parks is a reminder to all that standing up for what we think is right, no matter how small, can change lives in ways we never imagined.

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A Few of Our Favorite Girl Power Movies/Shows

Legally BlondeOne of the first girl power movies that comes to mind is the iconic Legally Blonde. The film’s plot follows a shamelessly fashionable and traditionally “girly” woman that decides to attend Harvard Law to become a successful lawyer after her ex-boyfriend tells her she can-not. It goes to show that women can be powerful while maintaining their femininity, and it is such an admirable and inspiring message.

A League of Their OwnA League of Their Own chronicles the experience of the women in America’s first female baseball league. Simply put, it shows that women can be just as athletic as men can be. The women come from all walks of life and go through their ups and downs throughout the film, but they ultimately come together as a team and fight to combat the sexism present during the time of World War II.

Hidden FiguresSet in the turbulent 1960s, Hidden Figures chronicles the lives of three female NASA em-ployees. While involved in the effort to put an American man into orbit, all faced much discrimination not only because they were women, but because of another marginalized group that they identified with, as they were all African American. When the movie pre-miered in December 2016, it won a SAG and two NAACP image awards, and with the actors’ performance, it is clear why. Be sure to look out for the monologue involving a cer-tain prejudiced coworker and segregated bathroom that is absolutely perfect and inspiring.

Princess Diaries 2: Royal EngagementThe Princess Diaries 2 is the kind of movie that seems like it contains a traditional storyline, but it throws the viewer for a loop by adding a feminist twist. It doesn’t really get the recognition that we feel it de-serves, but despite that, it is definitely worth a watch. We editors feel that it is one of the most motivating films for young girls - it was for us!

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The Powerpuff GirlsWhat girl hasn’t felt empowered by watching The Powerpuff Girls? Female superhe-roes are more of a rarity, especially in animated shows, and it’s even rarer to see fe-male superheroes working together as a team. However, that’s exactly what The Pow-erpuff Girls is all about, and it’s brilliant.

ScandalPolitics is not where we usually see women, but Scandal makes it the rule. Through the course of the series the women have taken over the most powerful positions in the White House. They do what they think is best for the country and don’t care how many enemies they make to get it done. It’s not hard to say that they definitely do a better job than the men, and what’s more inspiring than that?

MulanDisney’s Mulan is arguably one of the most feminist Disney movies, especially out of the classic princess films that have been released by the company. Sure, we have movies like Brave and Frozen today, but Mulan is the original independent and powerful Disney prin-cess. Even better, she is based off of a real person.

Wonder WomanThere are countless male superheroes, so it was definitely nice to see a woman take on a superhero role, especially one as awesome as Wonder Woman. As an Amazon and a god, Diana was one of the fiercest woman the world had ever seen. She defeated Ares and helped save the world. And like all good heroes, she wasn’t afraid to use help along the way. Whether you liked the movie or not, it’s hard to argue with the fact that Diana kicked ass and took names, and looked incredible while doing it. If that isn’t empowering, I don’t know what is.

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Ms. Arnts

    The woman who has had the greatest impact on my life is my mother, Kathy Kinyon Iazzetta.  My mother was the oldest of four siblings and lost her own mother at the age of 16. Through the struggles of losing her mother and help-ing to raise her own siblings, she contin-ued to thrive in school and sports.  She went on to college to study teaching and spent a year abroad in Spain. She lived each day thankful for what she had and determined to make her mother proud.

    My mom was an English and Spanish teacher for 10 years before deciding to stay home with me and my two older siblings.  Growing up, my mom inspired us to try everything from music to sports to cooking to woodship. She always told us, “You don’t know what you don’t know, so you have to look at every opportunity as a chance to learn - about life and about you.”  She never allowed us to quit - if we started it, we finished it, whether we liked it or not. That wasn’t my favorite rule, especially at the dinner table, but I understand its value much more now. She made us pull weeds, mow the lawn, help with

the laundry, and clean up after ourselves.  She also made us do our homework, say we were sorry, and say please and thank you. She taught us to say hello to strangers and help others in even the smallest ways - again, life les-

sons that I value greatly now.

    In grade school and mid-dle school, my mom was my softball coach.  She played with all of us in the yard and kept us active. She loves sports and loved all teams Philly.  She could name every player on every team, and she could even tell you what college they went to. She was also an avid reader, loved cross-word puzzles, and could write beautiful poetry.  She taught me to cook and bake, encouraged my love of woodworking. She was inspiring in her actions and in her words.

It has been 10 years since I lost my mom, but she taught me many things about be-ing a good person and believing in myself.  From her I learned that no matter the difficulties life brings, these are opportunities to learn, to grow, and to become a better and stronger person.  I learned that laughter is good medi-cine. She taught me that a strong family and true friends will keep you grounded, all the while pushing you to soar.  I miss her each day, I live each day thankful for what I have and determined to make my mother proud.

In honor of International Women’s Month, we at the Junto partnered with GirlUp to ask all of the female faculty at EAHS which women have most strongly influenced the person that they are today. The responses painted pictures of women who have demonstrated grace, strength, power, and femininity - women who are role models. Thank you to all of the teachers who participated in our survey and thank you to all of the inspiring women whom we have had the opportunity to

cover in this feature.

EAHS Female Inspirations

Ms. Arnts and her mother

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Ms. Scheetz

From the time I was very young, my mom always had me stop and count how many colors were in the sunset, stand quiet and listen to the Earth’s musical notes, and close my eyes to feel the warmth of the sun on my face and the wind on my skin. I believe she helped me learn how to ex-perience life as an artist and appreciate the natural world.

Mrs. Clark

    I can’t say that a specific woman inspired me to be-come a teacher.  My mother was a teacher, and it’s not surprising that many of her colleagues were also her friends.  Growing up, I was around many teachers outside of school. We would go on vacations together, attend Christmas parties at their houses, or have pizza on Friday nights.  As a group, they were such a fun and warm group of women and men who also seemed to enjoy their jobs, and the bonds that were created by working with each other. I suppose that being able to have a job where I could make great friends, with whom I share similar bonds, was appealing to me and one of the reasons I teach today.

Mrs. Arcadipane

     Although it is hard to select just one woman in my life that has influenced me, I would have to say my grand-mother had a huge impact on the person I am today.  My grandmother was the epitome of strength (losing her mother at just 6 months old and her father at the age of 9), resiliency, grace, beauty (everyday she wore a hand-made dress and red lipstick), and compassion.  I never heard her yell or say a single unkind thing about anyone. I can only recall her handling every wave of life with great poise and positivity. She taught me the importance of the simple things. When seeking advice from her the response was always the same, “Go sit in the sun, by yourself, the answer will come to you.”

Ms. Culpepper

     I was inspired to become a teacher by my high school Spanish teacher, Mrs. Eichorn.  She constantly challenged us and always encouraged us to do our best.

Ms. Scheetz’s mother.

Miss. Egberts

Audrey Hepburn once said, “To plant a garden is to be-lieve in tomorrow.” I think this fits in perfectly with the field of education. We are instilling the youth of America with the knowledge to succeed in a variety of future fields. De-spite her struggles as a child in the Netherlands during World War II, Audrey fought for the resistance and carried this strength throughout her lifetime leading to becoming a UNICEF Ambassador. She inspires me everyday to truly believe in tomorrow by educating the youth of today no mat-ter what their background consists of. Everyone can suc-ceed; they just to have the proper support system.

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Mrs. Gardener

One woman that inspired me is Rebecca Baker. She owned a horse farm while teaching and training in eques-trian sports. I became a counselor at her horse camp when I was in high school. She studied riding in Ireland after college, and I studied riding in England after col-lege. She taught me to push myself to become a stronger, better equestrian, which transferred to many parts of my life. I currently own two horses, one of which I compete in combined training events.

Ms. Hammerstone

I wanted to be a teacher since my first day of Kindergar-ten. However, it wasn’t until I met my third grade teacher, Mrs. Johnson who inspired me even more. She was the ‘best teacher’ ever, and I realized that if I wanted to be like her, I had to work really hard in school and continue that mentality in college. I haven’t stopped going after that goal ever since, thanks to Mrs. Johnson.

Ms. Hudak

While she may not be my most favorite musician, Patti Smith inspired me to become a better artist. Here’s a woman who surrounded herself with fellow brilliant artists (such as Sam Shepard and Robert Mapplethorn), understood the impor-tance of embracing the zeitgeist (New York City in the 1970s), worshipped diverse poets (such as Arthur Rimbaud and Bob Dylan), and forced us to expand how we define music and gender roles. Smith is a feminist icon.

Mrs. Mayrosh

My mother is my mentor and role model in both personal and professional life. I find her amazing because of her positiv-ity, sincerity, and perseverance. She taught me that honesty and integrity are quintessential to character and nice matter. Though I have yet to master the nice part, I use her words of wisdom as guidance and inspiration in all facets of my life.

Patti Smith

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Mrs. Zimmerman

Two women immediately come to mind when I think of those who have impacted my life. The first is Ms. Jackie Brown (she was Ms. Norvig at the time). She was my 9th grade English teacher. In her class, my classmates and I dis-cussed and shared our opinions and stories about ourselves. Ms. Norvig made everyone in our class feel valued, and it was in her class that I found my own voice and the confi-dence to share it. The second woman who instantly came to mind is Mrs. Durrah who was my cheerleading coach in high school and who is now my colleague. Mrs. Durrah be-lieved in me more than I believed in myself. She taught me to never settle for less than my best and that “cutting cor-ners” is never an option. These two women instilled in me a confidence and work ethic that I aspire to maintain in many facets of my life.

Mrs. Sobkow

I have been inspired by my grandmother, Ann. In spite of having only an eighth grade education, she was president of several clubs, ran church dinners, and volunteered on election day and for the red cross. She could also solve any large addition using mental math. I am grateful that I have been able to enjoy many educational opportunities.

Mrs. Rose

My mother, at 92, has been and still is my mentor in so many ways. I’ve nicknamed her “The Big D,” because her presence is large, looming and lives in my head. And her first name is Dorothe. As an influence, she has encouraged me, goaded me, praised me, and advised me (though some-times unsolicited). As a professional, I have repeated her footsteps. If I live up to her hyperbolic descriptions, I will be the happy and accomplished woman she planned for me to be.

Mrs. Malachwoski

The person that has influenced me to be the person I am today is my mother. When I was a senior in high school my father passed away and my mother had absolutely no idea how to do anything. She didn’t know how to balance a checkbook, how to pay the bills, or even how much money she had to work with. It was very stressful. I was getting ready to go to college and she didn’t even know if I could go because of the finances. Long story, short- I was able to go to col-lege and my mother learned how to manage a household.

So why would I say my mother influenced to be the person I am to-day? I decided that I would never be as helpless as my mother. I knew I wanted to be able to support myself, manage a household, and not have to depend upon anyone. Additionally, I raised my girls to be independent as well.

So the person that inspires you to be the person you are today doesn’t have to be someone who knew everything or was the best at some-thing. They just had to influence you to be better, know more, or be independent.

Mrs. Malachwoski’s mother

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Mrs. Flood

One of the women I most admire is my great-grandmother, Rose Angelillo. She immigrated to the United States as a young girl. She came to the US from Italy on a boat under horrible conditions in which many died on the journey. She married an-other Italian immigrate, Umberto, and had five chil-dren. She lost her husband and one son, Anthony, to pneumonia and raised her four children as a single mom working in a glove factory in little Italy in New York City. Her four remaining children, one my grandfather, grew into old age. She taught her four children the value of hard work, love of family, and service to others. These values have been passed on through generations of my family. I am proud to be her great granddaughter and named my daughter Julia Rose.

Ms. Lutte

As a female high school band director and growing up in in the 1970s, I did not have any female role models grow-ing up to inspire my cause. However, what I did have is a mom and dad who gave the courage and confidence to chart my direction and enter into a career that was not the “norm” for a female. When one believes in them-selves, their hopes and dreams can become a reality.

Mrs. Diehl

My grandmother, Carrie, was the most influential woman in my life. Her eyes lit up every time we were together. My grandmother believed in me and I never wanted to disappoint her!

Mrs. Eck

My mother has been the most influential woman in my life. She was a teacher for 35 years, as well as a coach and a mother of three. Her ability to wear multi-ple hats and meet and exceed the expectations of those around her showed me that I truly can do any-thing I work hard for. I thank her for her amazing multi-tasking skills and always having a “we will figure it out” attitude.

Mrs. Chen

Growing up, I wanted to be just like my mother.  She was an English teacher in the inner city in a very rough school.  She loved her job, cared for her students, and found ways to laugh through every situation.  I admired her work ethic, her determination, and her faith in God. She still encourages me today to be the best teacher I can be and prays for me everyday.

Mrs. Flood as a baby with her great-Grandmother (far right)

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Modern Women Who are Driving the World Forward

After the death of her father, George VI, in 1952, a young Princess Elizabeth rose to take the crown of England, and was coronated on June 2, 1953. 66 years later, Queen Elizabeth II has become the longest reigning sovereign in British history and has ushered in a new, arguably progressive, Elizabethan age. In many ways, she has modernized the Crown while maintaining traditions associated with it. At 91, she is the oldest person to serve head of state.

Lily Ledbetter is an American equal pay activist who in 2009 was the plaintiff in the court case Lebetter v. Goodyear Tires in which she sued the company over employee discrimination based on gender. This court case helped facilitate the Lily Lebetter Fair Pay Act which was passed by Congress in 2009.

Indra Nooyi has been the CEO of Pepsico since 2006 and has served as the head of its board since 2007. Her work as the head of the second largest food and beverage business by net revenue has gotten her to consistently rank on Forbes list of “100 Most Powerful Women.”

Elizabeth Warren is the senior United States Senator from Massachusetts. When she was elected in 2012, Warren became the first female Senator from Massachusetts. After a long ca-reer as a law professor, Warren began her political career and has since become one of the most prominent leaders in the Democratic party. She is an advocate for consumer protection, and her work has led to the establishment of the Consumer Protection Financial Bureau, which she served as Secretary of the Treasury for under president Barack Obama.

Queen Elizabeth II

Lily Ledbetter

Indra Nooyi

Elizabeth Warren

At age 19, Elizabeth Holmes left Stanford University to found the company Theranos, a pri-vate medical company that provides blood tests for people using a fraction of the amount of blood that would be required from a hospital blood test. As a result of Holmes’ lifelong fear of needles, Theranos uses a small prick rather than a needle, in order to alleviate that common fear many patients have.

Elizabeth Holmes

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With 23 Grand Slam titles, one can easily argue that Serena Williams is not only one of the greatest female tennis players of all time, but one of the greatest athletes of all time - period. She won her first major championship in 1999 and has won many since. She also ventured into fashion design and just last year got married and had her first child.

Nina Tandon is the founder and CEO of Epibone, which is the world’s first company that grows bones for skeletal reconstruction. Tandon completed her PhD and postdoc in stem cells and tissue engi-neering at Columbia University, where she also received an Executive MBA.

In 1997, Joanne “J.K.” Rowling was living as a struggling-to-get-by single mother in Edinburgh, Scotland when she published her first novel, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer‘s Stone. Since then, Harry Potter has become a pop culture phe-nomenon and in 2007, she published Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows, the eighth and final installment of the series. Rowling has also published The Cas-ual Vacancy (2012) and the crime novel Cuckoo Calling (2013) under the pen name Robert Galraith.

Gloria Steinam is a social activist and writer who has been a voice of the feminist movement since the 1960s. She is most known for going under-cover as a bunny in a playboy club during the 1960s to investigate how women were treated for an expose in New York Magazine. Since then she has been a passionate voice for women.

Laverne Cox is an actress and LGBT activist. In addition to her work as an activist, Cox also stars as Sophia Burset on the critically-acclaimed show Orange is the New Black, a role that has earned her a nomination for a Primetime Emmy, making her the first openly transgender actress to be nominated for that award. She is also the first transgender woman to win a Daytime Emmy Award as an Executive Producer and the first transgender person to be fea-tured on the cover of Time magazine.

Serena Williams

J.K. Rowling

Gloria Steinman

Laverne Cox

Nina Tandon

Erin Hamerstone - Editor in ChiefBeing editor-in-chief of the Junto and working alongside my team of editors that is

comprised of all females is something that empowers me everyday. Sometimes, it’s hard to feel capable in a world where women are not entirely equal yet, but walking into

Junto and allowing myself to be the driving force behind it reminds me that I can be successful, I can take charge, and I do hold some importance. As much as my own po-sition pushes me to be better, the girls that work with me make just as large of an im-pact on me as well. Their visions are unparalleled, and together, we work extremely well as a group. There’s nothing I appreciate more than being surrounded by strong

young women all of the time. As cliche of an answer as it may be, the woman that inspires me most is my beautiful

and powerful mother, Cathy. Not only did she single-handedly get us out of the domes-tic abuse we faced during my childhood, but she worked her way up in her job after

starting with nothing. Today, she has some of the highest sales in her company and still manages to be there for me and our four rowdy dogs. Not only do I hope to be as suc-

cessful as she is, but I hope to have even half the heart that she does.

Sarah Miller - Places EditorIt’s really not a hard choice for me. I’ve had a lot of great women in my life, but the one who has influenced me the most is my mother. I honestly don’t know how she

does it. She takes care of 4 kids all on her own, and while she’s not perfect, I couldn’t ask for anyone better. She has always pushed me to be the best that I can be, even if we don’t agree on what that is exactly. I really don’t think I’d be where I am today if

she hadn’t been there for me every step of the way. She has taught me how to be strong and advocate for myself. I have learned to be generous and grateful for all that I have. My mom was the one who taught me how to read and drive, and everything in between. She’s human like the rest of us and makes mistakes, but at the end of the

day, she has taught me how to be the best version of myself.

Allison Moffitt - People EditorWhen I first sat down to write this piece, I thought of inspiring women such as Eleanor Roosevelt and Elizabeth Cady

Stanton. I realized that it would be absolutely ridiculous to put these women down because, even though they have posi-tively influenced the lives of thousands of people, the person who has, clearly, most influenced my life as a woman is my

mother. My mother was the first person in her family to go to college and at age 33, she left her career to raise my brother and me,

a sacrifice that I will always be guilty and grateful for. Now that we have gotten older, she is back at work and one of the top performers in her company.  Her strength, wisdom, and resilience is something that I have come to appreciate even

more as I grow up and come of age. She is the most selfless person that I have ever met and will always have my best inter-ests in mind … no matter how much I try to deny it sometimes, mother always knows best.

Message From The Editors:

What Woman Inspires you most?