Well, I think we can all agree that we've lost not simply a Supreme Court justice, not simply an exceptionally smart and dedicated individual, but a true example of all that is good, pure and true. Ruth Bader Ginsburg, aside from being a force for change and equality, was as respectful as she was driven, fair as she was passionate. And we can learn a lot from that, especially in continuing her incredible efforts for progress in the United States.

Ginsburg was an exceptionally smart person. She graduated at the top of her class at Cornell, and enrolled in Harvard Law school, maintaining her position in a male-dominant environment, and facing chastisement from not only students, but professors as well. She then transferred to Columbia law, due to her husband's job, and graduated first in their class in 1959.

All this to say, there was no reason why any law firm could deny her a job. She had the ambition, dedication, and accolades to prove it. But she still faced discrimination, employers who would rather not take away a position from a male. After she was hired as a clerk to Judge Palmieri, she was offered more jobs, but always at a lower rate than her male counterparts.

Ginsburg took her experiences with her. Instead of passively accepting this inequality she rose to fight it, directing the Women's Rights Project of the American Civil Liberties Union during the 1970's. She shared her stories of gender-based discrimination, and challenged it in various Supreme Court cases such as Reed vs. Reed, Califano v. Goldfarb, and the proper implementation of Title VII, which outlawed discrimination of sex.

But, I believe it's important to note that RBG was likely one of the fairest minds I've yet to come across. In addition to bringing policy progress to the women's cause, she fought for the men left behind through discrimination as well. She saw the complex nature of American culture, and did her best to accommodate as many inputs and injustices into her argument as possible.

This level of objectivity and all-around benevolence, in addition to her brilliant record, appointed her to the U.S. Court of Appeald for the D.O.C., and, with Bill Clinton's nomination, the Supreme Court of the United States. The second woman in this position.

But what does that mean? Sure, it's impressive and all, however it could just have been another woman in her place. What makes Ginsburg special is that she did something with the power and responsibility given to her, and enacted real change that we still see the effects of today. Throughout her life, she refused to focus on what she has already done, what she has already accomplished, and looked to the future, a constant upward hill.

Today, many of America's youth focus on academics, to get into a good school, have a good job, and make enough money to be comfortable and satisfied. But is that the end? Is that all you want to contribute with the time, resources, and opportunity given to you? Ginsburg disagreed, and achieved even more as a Supreme Court Justice, writing the majority opinion in United States vs. Virginia, and worked with Obama to establish the Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. Fair and unrelenting, she respected the balance of the three branches, and used her power as effectively as possible, attacking specific areas of gender discrimination instead of sweeping declarations, and these interpretations have given women innumerable opportunities today. She was never afraid to dissent from the other judges and stick to her own path, of morality, righteousness, and equality.

In the end, it is not her accolades and titles that distinguished her. It is her actions, her interpretations, that show her character and set the example for not only women, but everyone in this country. Her death is not an end of an era, nor is it a cause for gloom, but an opportunity to learn from one of the greatest minds and purest souls the nation has ever seen.

How can we uphold her legacy? Simply ask yourselves this: What would RBG do?