I've always admired women. When anyone would ask me who my role model or my inspiration was, I'd always name a woman. My answers would vary depending on the day, with my mom being the usual go-to, inspirational teachers I had or have, someone I just met, or even a celebrity who is doing something great with their fame. They all have been women for as long as I can remember.

Maybe it's just because I am a woman myself. I try to see how other women made it at the end of the tunnel, or even how they are getting through something. I take bits and pieces of personality and experiences of the women I admire and try to mold them into my personality. There's beauty in this, though. It's hard being a woman, regardless of whatever any man says. Have they tried menstruating once a month? Or having to wear a bra? Or pushing a baby out of their body? And this is just the physical anatomical stuff. We can't forget about how mean women can be. Men tend to hurt each other through physical violence, but women? We just use the meanest thing we can say to someone, leaving a more lasting impression on a person than any hit or punch could do.

So why on earth do I look up to women?

Because it's not just any woman I look up to. All of the women I have ever looked up to were strong. Not necessarily physically strong, but there was something about them that made them seem powerful to me. These are women that you just can't not like, with a dynamic that is as captivating as their actions. It's hard to describe what makes a strong woman, but when you know, you know. And that's who I look up to.

The strong woman is a necessity in society, but one that is often not recognized. You see, these women are recognized as trailblazers, women who pave the way for other women to be themselves. This is seen as a feat of bravery, which it is. But should it not be recognized that a strong woman is necessary for the well-being of society? Of course, anatomically speaking, the world needs women to reproduce. Women have different thoughts and opinions than men, giving another perspective. It is strong women, though, that keep society afloat, with their bravery to come forth with new ideas and a stubbornness to make sure that they are heard.

A strong woman is kind but knows when to fight for what she believes in, smart in many areas, independent but knows that its okay to be vulnerable with others, braver than she even knows, and confident in herself enough to be able to laugh at herself. I look at the older women I look up to, seeing which aspect of their personality I admire. For my teachers, I usually admire their kindness, willingness to work with others, passion for a subject, and even their brilliance. When I hear stories from women I have met along the way of my life, I see vulnerability within them, a mustered confidence, and compassion.

Celebrities are the tricky ones to look up to. Hollywood and the media are always updating those who care about the lives of the people who are on all of the magazines and newspapers and television screens in America. One human mistake and the picture-perfect life of the celebrity is seen as tainted. Look at every celebrity out there. The ones we have come to love throughout the years are all human, therefore, are all susceptible to making mistakes. Each celebrity out there has done something that someone in the world did not like. That's life, though. Not everyone is going to like your choices.

What makes a famous strong woman, though, is how she handles herself with the microscope of Hollywood looking at her at all times. The famous strong woman is completely herself, though, flaws and all. She is able to obtain all of the attributes that a strong woman should have all while being stalked by paparazzi or having her name plastered all over the country or even the world. Only a few of these kind of women survive in Hollywood, but it is rewarding to discover that if they can be strong with so much pressure on them, so can you.

So thank you, strong women. You are inspiring a generation of female millennials in ways that we could never express. Thank you for being the smart, funny, vulnerable, confident, humble, kind, brave, and not afraid to be yourself. You make the world a better place, and you make me want to be the best woman I can be.