Although Grey’s Anatomy is framed within the experiences central to the title character Meredith Grey, I’ve always seen the series through the lens of Grey’s counterpart, Cristina Yang. And I’m sure many can relate. Cristina is established as the “Sourpuss” and “Twisted Sister,” but her affirmative nature and unyielding dedication to her expertise lend much of itself to her dealings with life’s highs and lows and the people she comes into contact with. Many choose not to see beyond her tough exterior, but the viewers who do hold the character near and dear to their hearts.

What Cristina brings to the operating table is loaded with justifiable sass, refined wit, and a fiery intellect she is unafraid to unleash. From the show’s inception, we are introduced to her character as a grounded, outspoken individual who leaves little room for nonsense. Consequently, you either learn to absolutely adore her or understand her for what she is- a guided feminist icon.

It’d be wrong to say that I was completely unaware of where I stood as a feminist before I began indulging in "Grey’s Anatomy," but it’d also be false to say that I had it all figured out. Frankly, I still don’t. However, I gleaned much of what I know from her break room rants, genuine meltdowns, and tell-it-like-it-is rebuttals.

There are definitive moments in both Cristina’s surgical career and personal life that transcend beyond what is traditionally presented to her counterparts. These are the very moments in which I’ve fallen madly in love with her tenacity, and so I’ve tried vigorously to incorporate such lessons into my life.

This is a woman who values her surgical craftsmanship over raising a family and, despite constant opposition, fights to preserve her right to choose. This is the woman who is left at the altar because a man saw and understood that it’d be unfair to change her into a woman she is not. This is the woman who, suffers through a bout with reactive psychosis and is the only one to stay awake to care for her fellow doctors during a plane crash. This is the woman who combats her post-traumatic stress disorder and develops conduit hearts to help children via 3D printer technology.

This is the woman who, in the face of being told she was the frontrunner for the Harper Avery Award, processes the loss by giving a lecture on her trial in Zurich. This is a woman who declines an offer to work for world-renowned cardiothoracic surgeon Preston Burke by claiming that her work merits more than a spot beside him. This is the woman who is quite literally offered a hospital that caters to her every medical desire.

Even though we aren’t proud to admit it, we’ve all succumbed to the normalities of society and the distinctions that have been pre-set for us to adhere to. Thanks to Cristina Yang, however, I’ve gradually acquired the means to demand more of myself in nearly everything I do. I’ve seen my idol fall to her knees in despair, and seconds later brilliantly meld herself into more than she could have imagined. Sure, Yang leaves Seattle in pursuit of her surgical dreams, but she serves to live on in every female who has ever watched and listened to the wise woman advocate for ambition.

“Have some fire. Be unstoppable. Be a force of nature. Be better than anyone here, and don’t give a damn what anyone thinks. There are no teams here, no buddies. You’re on your own. Be on your own.”