Whenever I don't feel confident in myself, I like to look back on ladies who have gone before me and have done incredible things in incredible circumstances. Here are twelve such women, so that you can be inspired by them too.
1. Serena Williams, Athlete
"Luck has nothing to do with it because I have spent many, many hours, countless hours, on the court working for my one moment in time, not knowing when it would come."
Commonly regarded as the best female tennis player of all time, Serena Williams (1981) has earned countless tennis accolades, including four Olympic Medals and 22 Grand Slam singles. She is a champion off the court as well, advocating for such things as body positivity and equal pay for women. She also created the Serena Williams Fund to further equal education and help victims of violence.
2. Eleanor Roosevelt, First Lady & Diplomat
"The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams."
Eleanor Roosevelt (1884 - 1962) did everything, and did it all well. She was the First Lady for longer than anyone else in American history, redefining the role to include activism and philanthropy as it never had before.
She was the first ever U.S. Delegate to the United Nations, and also the first to serve on the Commission on Human Rights. She was a strong, powerful activist, and she definitely left the world a better place than she found it.
3. Neha Gupta, Activist
"Find a cause that touches your heart, convert your empathy into action, and then let those actions ripple out."
Neha Gupta (1996) was only nine years old when she was inspired to start Empower Orphans, a large nonprofit that provides orphanages in India with educational programs, materials, and opportunities for the children who live there. Gupta and her family have raised approximately $1,000,000 through the organization, and Gupta has received honors, like the World of Children Award. She's only a sophomore in college!
4. Jane Addams, Activist & Reformer
"Nothing could be worse than the fear that one had given up too soon, and left one unexpended effort that might have saved the world."
Jane Addams (1860 - 1935) is probably the most bad-ass woman you've never heard of. She is known as "the mother of social work" because of her enormous efforts in reforming American housing for the underprivileged and fighting for women's suffrage.
Thanks to her work, in 1931 she became the first woman ever to win the Nobel Peace Prize. She is credited with founding the social work profession as it is known in America today.
5. Malala Yousafzai, Activist![]()
"When the whole world is silent, even one voice becomes powerful."
Malala Yousafzai (1997) is the second person on this list to have won the Nobel Peace Prize. She did so at the astonishingly young age of 17, the youngest person in history.
She was recognized for her enormous efforts and sacrifice for women's rights to freedom, opportunity, and education. Malala lived in Pakistan until she was shot and almost killed by the Taliban. Now she lives in England, where she works for girls' education through the nonprofit organization, the Malala Fund.
6. Lucille Ball, Actress
"It's a helluva start, being able to recognize what makes you happy."
Lucille Ball (1911 - 1989) was more than just the lead actress of I Love Lucy, one of the most successful television shows of all time. She was also a producer for her show, and the first woman ever to run a major television studio. Ball was a groundbreaking comedienne, using physical comedy that was uncommon for women at the time. She remains a famous pop culture icon today.
7. Madame C.J. Walker
"I had to make my own living and my own opportunity. But I made it! Don't sit down and wait for the opportunities to come. Get up and make them."
Madame C.J. Walker (1867 - 1919) was a successful entrepreneur and philanthropist at a time when it was hard for African-American women to be either. She became the first female African-American millionaire after she started a business which created hair products for African-American women. She gave back to her community by donating huge amounts to the Indianapolis YMCA, local churches, and to the creation of Walker Theater.
8. Toni Morrison
"If there is a book that you want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, you must be the one to write it."
Toni Morrison (1931) is one of the most important American authors today. She is known for writing frank, beautiful, and powerful books which address racism and sexism so prevalent in American society. She has been awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the Pulitzer Prize for fiction, and the Nobel Prize in Literature, the first African-American woman to do so.
9. Nellie Bly
“I said I could and I would. And I did.”
Nellie Bly (1864 - 1922) was an American journalist known for her bold reporting style and shocking expose of the conditions of American mental health institutions. She went undercover in Blackwell's Island Asylum, by faking insanity and reported on the inhumane conditions when she returned. She also traveled the world in 72 days, and wrote about her experience. She is famous for changing the field of American journalism.
10. Dr. Mae C. Jemison, Astronaut
"Some people say they feel very small when they think about space. I felt more expansive, very connected to the universe."
Dr. Mae C Jemison (1956) was the first African-American woman to travel in space when she went into orbit in the Space Shuttle Endeavor 1992. Before she worked at NASA, she served in the Peace Corps; afterward, she founded a company which researched the use of technology in daily life. She is an astronaut, actress, engineer, professor, physicist, and dancer.
11. Mary Shelley, Writer
"My dreams were all my own; I accounted for them to nobody; they were my refuge when annoyed - my dearest pleasure when free."
Mary Shelley (1797 - 1851) is the author of the famous and long-lasting novel, Frankenstein: or, The Modern Prometheus, which has been credited with being the first true science fiction novel, sparking the genre. She wrote constantly; her works included essays, plays, travel writings, short stories, and biographies. Her Frankenstein remains one of the most well-known stories in Western canon.
