What do Cristina Yang, Rachel Zane, Elle Woods, and Rory Gilmore have in common? They’re all incredibly dedicated women and full of ambition, not only to their academic and intellectual lives but also to their personal and social lives. Each woman is passionate about continuous learning, growing, and thriving in their respective expertise while also staying true to themselves. These women are perfect role models for women in college everywhere, especially during stressful seasons like midterm and exam season. The 2000s gave rise to some of these iconic characters that we still aspire to embody and serve as motivators to become the people we have always dreamed of being.
Cristina Yang
Cristina Yang, from the start of her story on Grey’s Anatomy, has been a strong and powerful character who pushes herself and others to be the best and nothing less.
At Seattle Grace Hospital, she began as an ambitious resident and quickly advanced through the ranks to become Director of Cardiothoracic Surgery and a board member for Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital.
Dr. Yang is a highly intelligent individual who uses her surgical skills and dedication to her job to not only be an excellent doctor but also a leader in her field. Some people see her ruthless dedication to surgery and her focus on her skills as a flaw that impacts her ability to connect with patients, but her drive is what makes her unique and enables her to focus on her own goals. Unlike the men of the hospital, who are praised for their stances, Cristina is often criticized for being strong-willed, but she does not allow the opinions of others to impact her actions or her feelings about herself.
What makes Cristina such an inspiration is her determination and ability to not let anything or anybody get in her way. At the end of her storyline, Cristina is able to have her happily ever after without a man or child, but with the happiness and content of being her own light in her life.
“Have some fire. Be unstoppable. Be a force of nature. Be better than anyone here, and don’t give a damn what anyone thinks.”
– Cristina Yang
Rachel Zane
Rachel Zane is the perfect mix of poise and ambition within the office of Specter Litt.
Rachel Zane acts as a paralegal at the office, but she does not allow this to limit her work. She consistently works on large projects alongside other lawyers and relies on her own merit, rather than her family’s wealth, to succeed.
She is hardworking and often goes above and beyond to prove her position and abilities through the preparation to does on cases and the complex legal research she dedicates her time to. Something unique about her is her dedication to becoming a lawyer after working as a paralegal for 6 years. Although she was scared, especially with struggling to take the LSAT she never gave up, and in the end she was able to get a high enough score to go to Columbia Law School. Her dedication and the wit within the office make her an inspiration and role model for others to try hard and to never give up on their dreams.
“I’m not bragging if it’s true.”
– Rachel Zane
elle Woods
Elle Woods is a person who comes to mind when you think of someone being effortlessly successful. She never lets anyone see her sweat or struggle, but rather only presents herself as the smart and beautiful person she is. As effortless as she looks, she is a hard worker who excels at proving people wrong. When getting into Harvard, she knew it would be difficult, but what separated her from others was her dedication and her belief in self-worth that she deserved nothing less than the best. She never sacrifices her femininity throughout the film and focuses on her confidence and determination to keep moving forward toward success. What makes her an inspiration is her strength to never be underestimated by those around her and to not let others in her life keep her from her goals. She never limits herself to what she can do or what is “normal”, instead, she is unapologetically herself, and she encourages others around her to be the same.
“What, like it’s hard?”
– Elle Woods
Rory Gilmore
Rory Gilmore lives a complicated, yet inspiring life from the dedication she had in accomplishing her dreams and not letting missteps or setbacks keep her from reaching her goals.
From high school, Rory was dedicated to her studies, evident in the extensive time she spent on schoolwork and her love of reading. Rory grounded herself in her motivation to go to college and become a successful journalist. Her dedication to her work is what many aspire to and love about Rory, because unlike others around her, she did not care about superficial aspects but rather focused on her own ambitions, which led her to success.
She pushes herself to achieve her best, and this is what makes her an inspiration as an accomplished student.
“Who cares if I’m pretty if I fail my finals?”
– Rory Gilmore