This past week, TIME Magazine released a special project called “Firsts: Women Who Are Changing The World” and it has absolutely blown my mind. This project consists of interviews with almost 50 women who have been trailblazers in their respective fields and have gone higher and achieved more than any woman to come before them in that field. The list formidable; among its ranks are Madeline Albright, Loretta Lynch, Mae Jemison, Aretha Franklin, Ellen DeGeneres, Oprah Winfrey, and so many more.

This project excites me for a couple reasons. The first reason is that it is incredible to see so many inspiring women being acknowledged and praised for their hard work and achievements. Women don’t often get recognized for all the work they have to put in in order to be viewed as equal to their male counterparts, so to see it done by one of the biggest magazines in the country is extremely encouraging.

But perhaps more importantly, this project is thrilling to me because it shows girls and young women that we can be anything we want to be. Often times, young ladies have to dig into the recesses of society to find strong, intelligent, female role models, but “Firsts” solves that problem. It gives girls and young women like me inspiration and footsteps to follow.