Most college-aged girls grew up watching Hilary Duff as Lizzie McGuire on Disney Channel, and listening to her sing the opening sequence to "Laguna Beach." Now, as we're still growing up, she's an adult and absolutely killing it. Unlike most Disney child stars, Duff has managed to avoid scandal and still have a successful career. She serves as a great "real life" role model.

Hilary Duff's first successful acting role was the TV movie "The Soul Collector" that premiered in 1999. Her next major role, also her most well known, was as Lizzie McGuire. After the show's debut, Hilary Duff grew to become a household name and she currently has 41 acting credits on IMDB. Some of these credits include appearances on hit TV shows such as "Gossip Girl" and roles in blockbuster movies like "Cheaper by the Dozen". Her most recent role is as Kelsey Peters in TVLand's new series "Younger". Although not all of her acting roles have received high praise, Hilary has kept her head held high and continued working. She took on the challenges of attempting to play "edgier" characters and expand her image from her time spent as a Disney teen idol.

In addition to her acting career, Hilary Duff has a successful music career. Her three studio albums have a collective total of fifteen million albums sold. Anyone who watched MTV's "Laguna Beach" knows her song "Come Clean," and any girl who claims to not know the words to "Why Not" is obviously lying. Her music is pop gold; it can be playful, serious, catchy, and relatable. As she grew older, her music matured, but never to the point of being raunchy or explicit. On June 16th she released her most recent album "Breathe In. Breathe Out." that features her latest single "Sparks." It is an album full of upbeat songs that reflect the challenges she has faced in the years since her last album, such as having a child and going through a divorce.

After the release of her album "Dignity" and world tour in support of it, Duff took a break from the music industry. In this time, she married professional hockey player Mike Comrie and had her adorable son Luca. She also released a trilogy of novels and continued acting. Unfortunately, her marriage has ended in a recent divorce, but throughout this hard time she still avoided the expected Hollywood drama and divorce scandal. She is now a multiplatinum recording artist, a flourishing actress, a New York Times best selling author, AND a single mother. Is there anything Hilary Duff can't do?

Her transition from teen idol to successful adult has not been without some controversy. Anyone remember when she dated the nine-years-older Joel Madden? However, unlike other celebrities, Duff did not have to go to extreme measures to shed her Disney image. She did not pole dance on stage at the MTV Video Music Awards, she never suddenly shaved her own head, nor has she done a stint in rehab. Instead, she made a graceful transition, taking advantage of the opportunities offered to her in the form of various acting roles and the songs she shared with the world. She has made appearances in Maxim magazine and has slightly sexed up her music videos, which earned her the title of a "sex symbol," yet that is not what comes to mind when one thinks of Hilary Duff. Mention of her name often generates conversations about "Lizzie McGuire," "The Cinderella Story," and her old songs off of "Metamorphosis," followed by the realization that she has new music out and a thriving TV show currently on the air.

In a world dominated by celebrities such as Kim Kardashian, Miley Cyrus, and Taylor Swift, Hilary Duff serves as the perfect "real life" role model. She has never flaunted her wealth, gone "crazy," or used her songs to excessively whine about things. Duff is a hard worker, a home maker, and a person many can look up to. Her work has always been relatable to her fan base, and her life is an example of what hard work can provide for a person. She shows how one can follow their dreams and thrive while also maintaining a healthy home life. Duff is also a prime example of how to gracefully age, but still have fun. Her recent experiment with mermaid hair gave so many people #hairgoals, and it seems everything she does glows with fairy dust. Thank you, Hilary, for setting a great example for so many young girls. Thank you for the normalcy you provide in the mess of celebrities who are anything but. And thank you for maintaining your Lizzie McGuire charm while also maturing and remaining relatable to your fan base.