Throughout my time in high school and college, it was all too common to hear girls airing claims like “I don’t have a lot of girl friends, they’re too much drama. I’m definitely a guys gal.” It hurts to hear this because it usually means said woman merely hasn’t found the right girl(s), and as a result, has given up on the rest of us! Now don’t get me wrong, a healthy guy-to-girl relationship is very important to maintain, but a strong girl-to-girl relationship empowers your soul in a way unexplainable to anyone who has yet to experience it. No matter what it is that binds you and your girl friend(s) to one another, I believe it is vital for every young woman to have at least one lady in her life that she can trust, love, and be fully vulnerable with. It wasn’t until I met my college girl friends who taught me how important it is to rely on one another without fear of revealing your Achilles heal. This belief is what drove me to write about the following women 20 I met in college; those who taught me how to celebrate one another when we’re at our best and build each other back up when we’re at our worst.
The Lauren: She will play devil’s advocate given any situation, an “innocent until proven guilty” mentality that catches people off guard when they make blind accusations. She views all perspectives before forming her own educated opinion, readily inviting a healthy debate to which she won’t take personally.
The Katherine: She created the secret formula to achieve a balanced “work hard, play hard” lifestyle. She has been through some of the hardest obstacles yet loves life even more because of them. She always finds the good in bad, and meaning in times of confusion.
The Jenny: She is the one who will fight against any army for you. She’s always protecting the underdog and will do anything in her power to teach bullies a lesson. She is modern day Wonder Woman.
The Alex: She doesn’t have a bad bone in her body and that scares people. She acts on her own impulses, not allowing social norms and expectations to influence her own. She won’t allow drama because it is beneath her.
The Sophia: She is the bubbly ball of giggles needed to cure your bad day. She’s the life of the party as well as the hardest working businesswoman in the game. She is literally the only person in the room getting hot and bothered by Excel’s “IF” statements and balance sheets.
The Olivia: She is the truest form of resilience. It doesn’t matter which obstacles come her way, she’s already creating lists to plan how she‘ll deal with them while maintaining her original routines, work ethic, and goal setting. Olivia is unstoppable, leaving her propitious legacy wherever she goes.
The Isabelle: She is your “yellow.” Yellow symbolizes optimism and happiness. You know how sunshine can make you smile on any given day? Isabelle is the sunshine you need in moments of darkness.
The Lauren: She Zen’s you out. She always makes time for mental health and reminds those around her to do the same. When life is moving too fast around you, she’ll be there instantly to teach you how to breathe, think things through, and make the best decision for you.
The Rachel: She’s your favorite southern belle. She was raised with only the best manners and intentions while being taught to go against the grain of female norms. She doesn’t need to hear from you 24/7 to know that your friendship is invaluable to you.
The Kristin: She embodies altruism. She works tirelessly to ensure everybody else is taken care of. She doesn’t look for any pats on the back when she does good deeds because she expects you to act on your heart’s impulses just as she had.
The Jillian: She is the Renaissance woman. She can and will do it all; whether it is her studies, profession, relationships, or exercise, she knows how to schedule time for everything so that she doesn’t have to give up that which she values.
The Prabha: She is a role model for everyone. Her willingness to learn goes far beyond how it will serve her, but rather, how she can use her newfound knowledge to help serve others. She gives with all of her heart.
The Carolina: She is Mallomars. This is for a couple reasons: First, Caro is tough on the outside like the cookie’s hard, chocolate shell; yet sensitive and vulnerable on the inside like that gooey marshmallow filling. Secondly, she always encourages you to act on impulses, specifically good cravings.
The Amanda: She has the “glass half full” lens. It doesn’t matter what anyone says or does, she will always try to find the good in them. She realizes life isn’t black and white, and that when we take a closer look at the grey areas, we’ll likely find understanding in what was previously unclear.
The Lexi: She’s the unsung hero. She is the first one to think about who is impacted by a certain action or event. She looks out for your feelings and wants to be there every step of the way as you conquer an obstacle or goal.
The Alexa: She is your cheerleader. She’s spunky, sweet, and sisterly. Always the one to give you a genuine compliment to boost your self esteem. Making other people smile is what she does best, fueling her to keep spreading the love.
The Jamie: She’s the snuggly friend who wants to feed you delicious homemade food all day. You’ll want to bring her home to your parents to prove to them you’re on the right track because everyone wants their child to be just like her.
The Niiki: She wears her emotions on her sleeve as she feels and cares deeply. She’ll never quit, not even when it hurts 15/10 on the pain scale. Because of this, she’ll always work harder than those around her without even realizing it herself.
The Sam: She has the ability to connect on an unexplainably raw level with anyone as she exudes a formidable sentiment of trust, patience, and helpfulness. I swear her heart will jump right out of her body to connect with yours.
The Lissy: She is exceptionally impressive yet doesn’t quite realize it herself. But, that’s exactly what adds the cherry on top to her humbly charming sundae. She’ll tell you she’s awkward yet there is no one more adept and proficient in her ways.
In closing, I hope you befriend at least one of these girls in college. Once you do, make sure you always fight for each other, no matte what disagreements you face, because real partners argue. Don’t get it twisted; an argument doesn’t mean you’re in a flawed, broken relationship, but rather, it means you care enough to disagree with, challenge, and sometimes even hurt the one you love as a direct result of that deep-rooted love. Whether it’s boy troubles, distance, or heavy workloads, there is no valid excuse to terminate a real genuine friendship. It is a privilege to have a girl friend who will drop everything in a minute just to hold you while you cry over the fear of failing out of finance. Or when she yells at that boy after he stomped all over your heart. And you better believe she’ll be ensuring you eat and sleep the weeks following a passing of someone close to you. Don’t take your friend’s time and love for granted because there is no bond like that with your sister’s in college, functioning as your home away from home.
Now most importantly, work to reciprocate her friendship. Give as much as she does, and more, with no other intent than to simply make her smile like when she sees the treats and flowers you left on her dorm room desk after 5 hours of her stressfully studying in the library.
Lastly, the biggest thanks and gratitude to these 20 beautiful women; it is you who got me to where I am and where I will be going.
