January 12, 2022

Finding female role models has never been something I’ve had to search for—they’ve always fallen into my lap. Not only was I blessed with the most level-headed and kind mother, but three older sisters as well, all of whom have taught me how to be strong-willed and passionate in my endeavors. And like most young girls in the early 2000’s, I grew up with Disney Channel stars such as Miley Cyrus, Raven-Symoné, and Selena Gomez. Those women and the characters they played were bold, sassy, and quite literally, the stars of the show. 

As though it couldn’t have gotten any easier, I had the privilege of going to an all-girls’ high school. Not only were all of my peers women, but my administrators and a great number of my teachers were, too.​​ The president of every club, the captain of every team, the smartest kid in every class, was always a young lady. It’s easy to see why I’ve never lacked a strong sense of fierce femininity in my life, because it was always right there in front of me.

As I entered college, I was quick to make friends with the awesome women living in my small dorm. From co-chairing our hall council together to encouraging each other to take the action we wanted to make, we were truly women supporting women. We supported each other then, as we continue to do now, in remembering our worth. Whether it’s applying for jobs or getting the nerve to ask that boy out for coffee; whatever it may be, we are always there to provide the extra confidence we may be lacking to just go for it.

When I began my sophomore year, I also began working for a title insurance company in Ann Arbor. At first, I didn’t think much of it. It was a part-time job to pay for groceries and keep me busy. I was learning about a sector of the real estate industry that I didn’t even know existed and was making a lot of new connections. It wasn’t until this past year when I described my work environment to a friend that I realized just how special my situation was.

When I have told people that I work in the title insurance industry, most people my age are a bit confused as to what it is and why on Earth I’m doing it. Yet, as I have continued to explain my job, I casually mention that it is an all-female office; their confused and squinted eyes always go wide as they utter, “woah, that’s pretty rare.” That simple sentence led to some heavy feelings.

I was upset with myself for everyone I was taking for granted. Every female family member, friend, co-worker, peer, and teacher I ever had. I was reaping the benefits of their influence without paying gratitude for the role they’ve played in my life. Nor had I taken any time to even think about what hardships they had faced as women on their journeys in life—all that it had taken for them to become the strong female figures they are today.

While not appreciating the role models that had been so clearly placed in my life, I was also ignoring all of the ones more subtle, yet just as important. The GSI’s and professors of my male-dominated classes. My classmate who raises her hand and asks the most put-together question when everyone else has failed to understand what is going on. My manager at work who has dominated her industry for over thirty years. 

Female role models are everywhere, and I’ve been lucky enough to have more than just a few by my side. In continuing my practices of gratitude for the women I’ve had guiding me, it’s even easier to find more.