It happened to be a weekday, the weather outside was awful, and I was on my way home from work. Feeling completely done with the day, exhausted and cranky, the idea of getting on a crowded train was pretty depressing. When a packed 5 train finally pulled up to the platform on 42nd Street I shuffled towards the opening doors because I couldn't wait to begin dragging my sorry self home. At this time (rush hour) it was impossible to get a seat, and I ended up standing above a few seated passengers mid-train car.

I didn't particularly choose to stand over a group of middle school girls, probably on their way back from a field trip along with the rest of their classmates, I got there simply because it seemed like the least-crowded option. As the train began moving I began to grow even more annoyed, this time at my own decision to stand near loud, restless tweens. I hate to admit it, but I might have even rolled my eyes at them once or twice. Then I glanced down and noticed the three girls sitting directly below me were looking back up. They were whispering and giggling like little girls do like I have done many times in the past when I was in their place, and I wasn't sure how to react. Were they saying something about me? What were they saying? Did it even matter?

For a second, I just stood to assess the situation until one of the little girls broke my train of thought, (no pun intended): "My friends and I think you're really pretty," she said, her friend on the right adding, "Yeah I love your hair, and your clothes a lot." Immediately my whole outlook changed. Not only about the girls whispering among themselves, but about myself, my mood, and how I was treating the world around me. My resting bitch face and eye rolling resulted in a sweet compliment from three somebodies who may have potentially been looking up to me as a real-life role model. Being 20 years old makes me mature enough to be judged as an adult, while at the same time young enough to seem relatable to girls like this, and I did not make myself proud with the example I was setting.

The next time it happened, I was routinely getting a manicure at my local nail salon on a lazy Sunday afternoon. The kind lady behind the front desk sat me in between two other customers, a woman who looked to be in her 40s and a younger girl who I guessed was probably around 13. "You're doing a creative look again this week?," asked my nail technician and I showed her the polishes I chose. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary when the lady to my left leaned over to check out my selection.

I often get compliments on my nails, so I naturally told her, "Thank you!" after she praised my choice, then got up to dry her own nails at a different station. What I didn't expect to see when I glanced to my right, was the young teenager observing the whole exchange with admiration. By the look on her face I could tell that she regarded me as someone she looked up to. She looked at me like I had just done something amazing, because I received an affirmative response from a woman twice my age, and she wanted to strive to be just like me one day. I smiled at her as kindly as I could, but my mind was somewhere else.

It had occurred to me at that moment, that so many young girls are always looking up to everyday young women in their lives. Hell, even I do! I was always aware of the notion of having a role model, and I constantly catch myself looking to older women I meet, see on the street or have known forever (MOM) in times of trouble or whenever I just need some guidance. But until that day, until those instances happened to me, I did not realize that I am that role model, that awesome, accomplished young woman to somebody else. I successfully exist in the world, and my actions matter because they do not always go unnoticed.

So with that being said, I want to urge all college girls of my generation to look around and realize that there are others looking up to you! Think about your little sisters, your cousins, your neighbors, little ones you have babysat for who remember you now that they've grown a bit, and even the random little girls who see you out in public. They are probably watching and idolizing you so please think twice next time you choose to let a difficult situation throw you off of your best behavior. Let them be your motivation to strive to reach and stay true to your goals, to make yourself proud, and to be a good person overall.

It is so easy to get lost, or sidetracked in today's society that values boobs over brains, money over morals, and hookups over happiness. Mixed signals about who we should be, how we should act, and what is attractive versus what is not constantly being thrown our way, and it is crucial that real women who are conscious of this still continue to exist because they are the ones worth looking up to. Let's be those women, and let's work to eliminate the possibility of making a wrong choice.

For all of the times you have seen, and critiqued the girls of a younger generation posting things on social media, that you yourself would have never even thought of at that age, stop and consider why they are doing that. My guess is that they have seen a role model acting in such a way and they are mimicking negative, age-inappropriate behaviors because they simply do not know any better. Society doesn't just happen, it is created by the people in it, and their everyday actions that are seen by others. Let's all try a little harder to be role models instead of Instagram models, and hope that maybe the positive changes that take place will affect and improve more than just individual lives.