Many of you may hear the name Emily Ratajkowsi and not bat an eye. I was that way too just a few months ago. I knew her only as the pretty actress in the "Entourage" movie, and the guest star in a few iCarly episodes. After she posted the “controversial” mirror photo of her and Kim Kardashian topless in a bathroom, she got a lot of attention, both applauding and demeaning.

After seeing the picture, I was pretty much unaffected. I was not offended by the nudity, nor felt the need to tweet about the vulgarity of the photo. If anything, I thought it was courageous of her to post it, considering today’s societal views on women exposing their bodies. After reading some of the tweets mentioning Emily, I was startled by how quick people were to shame her on expressing her confidence in her body, especially the women spreading hate. However, Emily seemed unaffected by the negative statements.

After this scenario, I followed Emily on Twitter and browsed through her previous tweets. She was informed on current worldwide issues, and was not hesitant to express her opinion on them. She was smart, witty and sure of herself. After posing for a nude photoshoot, she tweeted the exciting news. Of course, some people unreasonably gave their two cents on the photoshoot, shaming Emily for conveying her body in such a “vulgar” way.

One of the discouraging tweets came from Piers Morgan, a British journalist that stated, “Do you want me to buy you some clothes? You look freezing.” Not only was the tweet rude, but completely unnecessary. Emily didn’t hesitate to tweet back, “Thanks, but I don’t need clothes as bad as you need press.”

From looking at her Twitter account, I learned a lot about her philosophies. Emily openly supports Planned Parenthood, ultimately giving girls and women the right of choice. She also believes that women should express their sexuality however they please. She’s a feminist, and encourages other women to become involved in the fight for equality. And most of all, she is confident in herself.

So, Emily Ratajkowsi is so much more than an actress or model. She is intelligent and clever, unwavering and assured. Emily is not afraid to openly express her views and she does so graciously and respectively. She is someone that women and girls should look up to, and someone who makes me feel that I have every right to express myself freely.