Since I was young, I’ve known the stories of so many brave, kind and hardworking women who inspire me to be a better version of myself. A version where I am not perfect, but I am happy and open to learning from my mistakes and to be kind to myself. All these women went through difficult things but despite it all they still did the right thing and had a positive impact in my life and the lives of others. Each of them inspires me in a different way, some of them are women from my daily life and others are famous women I’ve always admired my whole life.
Ana Salvatierra – My mom
My mom is the strongest woman I know because she is the one who shows me the balance between being a dreamer and taking action to make those dreams come true. Ever since I was little, my mom has always encouraged me to be strong and to dream big. When I was ten, she gave me a series of books about women who changed the world, she wanted me to know that I could be just as incredible as they were. Sometime later, we moved to the United States, and being here made me realize that my mom was just as incredible as the women I read about in books. She had to start over from zero in her profession, had to deal with a new language and a new world, all right after giving birth to my little sister. My mom is the woman who inspires me every day because she is always brave in the face of challenges and never stops dreaming big. Every day, she strives to show my sisters and me that we can be successful on our own, fulfill our dreams and overcome any challenge, no matter how difficult it may be.
“Me hace muy feliz verte en esta etapa, y que busques siempre el balance de las cosas, sin necesidad de querer encajar en una sociedad,” she said once. “Mantén siempre tu esencia…”
Taylor Swift
I discovered Taylor Swift when I was young during the 1989 era while watching the music videos for “Shake It Off” and “Blank Space.” At that age I didn’t know English and didn’t have access to social media besides YouTube. This is why I didn’t know much about her beyond her music videos. Once I grew up, learned English and gained access to social media I realized how amazing she was as a songwriter and activist. Taylor’s music has been there for the hardest and best times of my life because she has a song for everything. A song where I can find comfort and a description of my feelings. I had the enormous privilege of attending “The Eras Tour” in 2023 and let it all out by screaming every song on the setlist until I lost my voice. The day after the concert I went to school and everyone thought I was sick because of my voice. Taylor Swift’s songs are a part of my life and these days even more with emotional songs such as “You’re On Your Own, Kid.” I remember screaming and crying to this song in my car days before my high school graduation because the time to move on and grow up was already happening, and Taylor’s songs were there to comfort me.
“The scary news is that you’re on your own now,” Taylor said once. “But the cool news is that you’re on your own now.”
Princess Diana
I was in sixth grade when one of my teachers started talking about how resilient and caring Princess Diana was. At that time, I knew her name but not her full story. I did some research, read about her history and wondered why good people are always the ones who suffer the most. For me, Princess Diana was more than a princess. She was the perfect example of someone who uses their privileges to do the right thing, even if it doesn’t align with others’ expectations. It wasn’t until junior year of high school when I watched “The Crown” for the first time and I saw how Princess Diana revolutionized the British Monarchy, that my admiration grew. Princess Diana started by breaking traditional royal boundaries. She connected deeply with people, educated her sons about the world outside the monarchy and later she started dedicating her life to help humanitarian causes. Some of them included bringing awareness to HIV/AIDS, being president of over 100 charities focused on children, disabled people, homeless people and more. She was a fashion icon. She still is because she has a Dior bag named after her, called “Lady Dior.” Princess Diana inspires me to use my privilege and my voice to make positive changes in the world.
I don’t go by the rule book…,” she said once. “I lead from the heart, not the head.”
My Friends from Dallas
When I immigrated from Lima, Peru to Dallas, Texas I thought I was not going to have friends because I was in a new country. But to be honest, I was wrong because when I moved, I met the most genuine and incredible friends. They are not simply good friends, but they are also incredible women. After graduating, my friends and I had to go on different paths. I moved to New York City, some stayed in Dallas for college, another had one more year left in high school and another flew back to her home country. Despite the distance, my friends are the girls who inspire me to become a better person because they all have beautiful qualities I admire. All of them work hard toward their dreams, have high expectations, care for others and themselves and support their friends in every single step of the way no matter how hard things get. My friends inspire me to be a better version of myself because no matter how far I am from them, they will always cheer me on and I will always cheer them on.
“You’ve always cheered me up and I’ll keep you updated on things!” A friend of mine said once in our Instagram chat. “I love you so, so much too and I miss youuuuuuu…”