1. Olivia Pope: You can be anyone you want to be, as long as you're willing to put the work in.

Olivia came from nothing as far as a support system goes. She grew up without a mother; her only family member was her glacial father who sent her from one school to the next, keeping her as far away from home as possible. Despite all of that, however, Olivia became one of the most powerful women in Washington — a well-respected and extremely successful fixer/gladiator.

2. Quinn Perkins: Starting over isn't always a bad thing.

Since she began a new life (although against her will), she has become invaluable to Olivia Pope and Associates and has recognized and been able to use all of her skills. Despite a quick slip up or two, it's clear that Quinn is a good person who plans to use her skill set to help others and efficiently get the job done. She wouldn't have been able to become someone so powerful and successful had she not started a new life. She would more than likely be struggling to make ends meet.

3. Abby Whelan: With the right friends, you can overcome anything.

After escaping from an abusive relationship, Olivia took Abby in, and not only allowed her to recuperate and stay in her apartment, but also gave her a job — one of the greatest jobs she’d ever have. This, in turn, opened the door to Abby’s position at the White House. Even though Abby found herself in an awful situation, she was able to emerge better than ever with Olivia’s help.

4. Fitzgerald Grant III: Everyone, despite his or her job title, is a person.

Fitz is the president — the Leader of the Free World — and yet he is still so affected by the normalcy of everyday life, including marital problems, disagreements with his children and heartache. Fitz serves as a reminder that a person’s career does not strip him of his basic human characteristics and that even the most powerful people can be quite emotionally vulnerable.

5. Mellie Grant: How to deal when people you give everything to let you down.

Poor, poor Mellie. Even though she can be completely insane and wildly belligerent sometimes, you can’t help but feel bad for her and everything she’s gone through. She is resilient and, more often than not, fair in her attitude toward those who have betrayed her. While she can be jealous and vengeful, Mellie can be quite an asset to any team — both political and familial — due to her hardworking and volatile nature.

6. Cyrus Beene: Working behind the scenes is never easy, but it's rewarding.

Cyrus works around the clock and hardly ever has time for himself because he is always busy taking care of the messes that other people make or the problems that other people cause. He is, however, the president’s chief of staff and is proud of his position in society, which is a pretty high honor and a reward in itself.

7. David Rosen: Always stay true to what you believe in.

Oftentimes, Rosen is the only one who does his job by the book. He’s quite the rule follower and does not feel right about playing dirty (the way that many of the other characters do). Rosen stays true to this, even though it costs him many battles.