So, it’s the middle of October. You know what that means: mid-terms! Either you just had them last week and are feeling super burned out, or you have a couple this week and are incredibly stressed. Need a little motivation?
Below are some awesome women who have really pushed themselves and taken advantage of their opportunities. They represent a variety of different ways women can and will contribute to society – as politicians, writers, CEOs, and musicians.
(Warning: these women make great role models).
Who: Maureen Chiquet
College: Yale University
What: Maureen Chiquet is the CEO of Chanel. Prior to this, she was the president of Banana Republic. She is currently on the Board of Trustees of the New York Academy of Art and also serves on the University Council Committee on Reputation at Yale. Jobless after college, Chiquet decided to take the LSAT. In the middle of the test, she realized she was not following her heart; she had no desire to be a lawyer. She walked out and pursued her passions, eventually scoring an internship at L’oreal in Paris. From there, she worked her way up through the fashion world to become CEO of one of the world’s most celebrated fashion companies.
Why She is One of this Week’s Superwomen: In a recent survey of 2,000 of the world’s top companies, only 1.5% of CEOs were women. In a world dominated by male leadership, she is forging her own way. She also had the courage and vision to follow her dreams.
Who: Anna Quindlen
College: Barnard College
What: Anna Quindlen is a Pulitzer-Prize winning author. She has written five best-selling novels, three of which are now major motion pictures. She has also given several commencement speeches and worked for both The New York Times and The New York Post. Additionally, Quindlen is married and is the mother of three children. Some advice from Anna Quindlen on living a good life in times of stress: “I did not live in the moment enough. I wish I had not been in a hurry to get on to the next things…I wish I had treasured the doing a little more and the getting it done a little less.”
Why She is One of this Week’s Superwomen: For decades, the responsibilities of mothering have stopped women from achieving success in the work world. Quindlen, in contrast, has managed to be both a successful mother and businesswomen.
Who: Angela Merkel
College: Leizpig University, Germany
What: Angela Merkel, chancellor of Germany, is listed as the #1 most powerful woman on Forbes Magazine’s 2015 100 Most Powerful Women list. After the collapse of the East German regime in 1989, she became involved with politics. She worked her way through the ranks, and eventually the then-German Chancellor, Helmut Kohl, noticed her sharp ambition and keen intelligence. She is the first female German chancellor, and, over the past ten years, has dealt successfully with tens of massive political issues in Europe. Some highlights: putting a stop to an economic crisis in Germany through a well-thought out stimulus package, serving as the international point-person in brokering deals with Vladimir Putin, and putting her mind to work to save the euro from failing.
Why She is One of this Week’s Superwomen: This one is pretty self-explanatory. I’ll leave it at the fact that she is a politically savvy, incredibly intelligent, ambitious woman .
Who: Beyoncé Knowles
College: Did not attend
What: Beyoncé Knowles, American singer, is a powerful presence in American media. She has written tens of top 40 songs and won Video of the Year award at both BET Awards and MTV Video Music Awards for her “All the Single Ladies” music video. Many of her songs are centered around the theme of female-empowerment. In addition to her success in the music industry, she also owns a fashion line and has recently launched a campaign called “Ban Bossy” to encourage leadership among young girls. She also worked on Gucci’s Chime for Change campaign, which aimed to spread and promote female empowerment. The videos for the campaign were set to her music.
Why She is One of this Week’s Superwomen: Beyoncé Knowles is not only an empowered, self-made women, but is also striving to empower girls worldwide.
Okay. Feeling a little more inspired? Hopefully these mini bios served as a little bit of motivation to finish that lab report or response paper!!