HC Pitt’s Favorite Female Role Models

You may or may not be aware of this, but March was Women’s Histroy Month, which I felt was especially important to embarce this year. So, I rounded up Her Campus Pitt’s most admirable role models. Whether or not you share role models with us, it is important to recognize and celebrate all of the females in our lives today and always. 

“Chrissy Teigen. She’s hilarious, isn’t afraid to be herself, and is real about her problems.” -Ashleigh Bowling 

“Leslie Knope. She’s ambitious and driven but also allowed to be vulnerable and compassionate, and you don’t always see both sides in portrayals of women. Plus, she works incredibly hard to rise to the top and reach her goals, but never does so by trampling on others. Instead, she raises them up with her. I know she’s a fictional character, but when I think about the kind of leader I hope to be, I think of her.” -Lexi Nasonti

“Carrie Fisher. She was a fantastic advocate for bipolar disorder awareness and she was hilarious to boot. She never shied away from bringing much needed attention to her struggles and those who wrestle with the stigma of manic depression, but she also never took her struggles too seriously, either (For example, her ashes were put to rest in a giant anti-depressant Prozac pill).” -Jess Crawford 

“Ellen! Pretty obvious reasons: she’s confident in who she is and helps other people feel that way too. She’s funny af and uses that humor and her fame to bring up important issues and help others.” -Katie Osborne 

“Michelle Obama. She’s so poised and professional, yet fun and very articulate. She has achieved so much and I think especially as a very prominent black woman in our society she has been an amazing role model for women as a whole and for African-Americans to squash the racist ideas some people still have. She’s just fabulous in every way.” -Katie Osborne 

“Julia Child. She was courageous, hilarious, and completely herself. She didn’t allow the fear of change or inexperience stop her from pursuing something she was curious about – especially food. She was one of the first women to attend Le Cordon Bleu and never let the men who doubted her to control her desire to learn. Plus, she had such a wonderful outlook on life – one of my favorite quotes from her is, “People who love to eat are always the best people.” and it couldn’t be more true!” -Elaine Khodzhayan

“My mama, Rose Khodzhayan. She has the biggest heart I have ever or will ever come across, and she always encourages me to look for the best in other people, regardless of the circumstance. She lets her heart and kindness guide her and is always mindful of how precious life is because she constantly reminds me to fill my days with people and things that I genuinely enjoy. She believes in me and my ability to succeed in any direction I step (even if I don’t believe in myself) and I don’t think I will ever be able to show enough gratitude for everything she does for me every day. She’s a successful business woman, unbelievably courageous, thoughtful, and fits more into a day than most people fit into a week – the very best!!” -Elaine Khodzhayan

“My mom, Debbie. Our lives haven’t always been easy, but my mom has always done all she could to support my brother and I (including working 2 jobs for the past several years – at one point she worked 3). She has put her own issues aside to take care of her children. My brother has Autism and she has always done everything she could to make sure he was getting the best education and the best treatment he possibly could, showing me what it really means to be a mother. She has taught me the value of hard work and shown me that a little compassion goes along way. I think a lot of who I am has been shaped by my mother and her determination, sympathy, passion, sass, weird sense of humor and love.” -Hannah Ayars 

“Emma Watson! She honestly does it all: acts in phenomenal films, is a UN ambassador for gender equality AND she graduated from an Ivy league with honors! Whenever I feel like quitting, I think of how Emma is doing so much more than I am with a smile on her face.” -Chantelle Farley

“Rukmini Callimachi… she is the NYTimes’ ISIS correspondent. She spends most of her year embedded with Iraqi soldiers and the Americans who are stationed with them. Her last assignment was direct reporting out of the liberated section of Mosul, Iraq. Her bravery in the face of undeniable danger and commitment to telling the true story are beyond admirable; she is unafraid to tell people of power that their information is wrong, go right to the front lines, and defend herself on social media. I live for her columns and would die to meet her.” -Caroline Eddy

Though I have many females in my life that I am beyond lucky to look up to and gain inspiration from, my most significant female role model is my thirteen year old sister. There is no other thirteen year old I know that works as hard as my sister, Carly, does in everything she sets out to do in life. Whether it’s a field hockey game, her school work, or just her character in general. Her smile, positive attitude, and wisdom beyond her years is what keeps me motivated every single day and keeps me pushing myself to be better than I was the day before. 

Photo Credits: 1, 2, 3, 4, author’s own