In honor of Women’s History Month coming to an end, I compiled a list of five women who inspire me in the multiple facets of my life. These women have been active in their communities and have made impactful strides within the nation over the past few years. I hope that these women inspire you with their lifestyles of philanthropy and service to others.
- Cheslie Kryst
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Former Miss USA Cheslie Kryst was the longest-reigning Miss USA in the system’s history, holding the title for 557 days due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Before her reign as Miss USA, Cheslie reigned as Miss North Carolina USA and was an attorney. As Miss USA, Cheslie broke records and stereotypes as she served when Miss USA, Miss Teen USA, and Miss America were all black women. Cheslie served in organizations such as Dress for Success and advocated for Black Lives Matter during the street protests in the summer of 2020. Now, she runs her own personal blog, jewelry line and is a correspondent on the entertainment news program Extra.
- Amanda Moreno Young
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Amanda Moreno Young has impacted the lives of many young women throughout her decade of experience in pageantry as she has held multiple national titles such as National American Miss and Miss International. Amanda dealt with bullying and an eating disorder as a child and leveraged her struggles into her own personal platform, The True Beauty Movement. After years of motivational speaking and serving the community through pageantry, Amanda is now using her communication skills to prepare young women to win the title of their dreams through her pageant coaching business, Amanda Moreno Consulting. When Amanda is not pouring into young women while coaching, she creates content and picks the best styles for her online boutique, The Crowned Swan. Amanda has coached back-to-back national titleholders in multiple systems, including back-to-back National American Miss and Miss International winners.
- Stacey Ambrams
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Politician Stacey Abrams began making an impact on not only me but the nation when she ran for governor of Georgia in 2018. Though she did not win, her run turned in more voters than any Democrat in the state’s history. The graduate of Spelman College, the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas, and Yale Law School have had an overwhelming impact on politics in Georgia as she played a huge part in flipping Georgia blue in the 2020 presidential election. Stacey Abrams is one of my biggest inspirations as a journalist and as a woman because she shows me that women are capable of whatever they set their minds to no matter how the odds are stacked against them. We are capable of breaking barriers, and Stacey is the perfect example of that.
- Demi Lovato
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Demi Lovato has made a huge impact on my perception about opening up about mental health struggles and finding easier ways to do so. She has been so transparent about her struggles with addiction and bipolar disorder. The former Disney star has set a tone of transparency for every endeavor she embarks, including her music, advocacy, and acting career. Demi has not only released two documentaries where she opens up about these struggles, but she has also spoken on Capitol Hill about Mental Health in hopes of getting the government more involved with fixing the mental health issues within the nation. Demi has advocated for Black Lives Matter and used her platform to uplift black voices along with her advocacy for mental health. I am forever impacted and inspired by Demi’s resilience and transparency, as it has helped me in my own mental health journey.
- Yamiche Alcindor
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Journalist, member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., and White House correspondent for PBS news hour Yamiche Alcindor has set an outstanding tone for black women in journalism. 2020 was a year of challenges and resiliency for the journalist as she tackled news regarding COVID-19, racial injustice, and the election. Yamiche is most known for interactions with former President Donald Trump in his COVID-19 press conferences. As a young journalist nearing graduation, I find hope for my future career and inspiration within Yamiche because of her ability to stand her ground to uphold journalistic values by reporting news no matter how hard, all while being a black woman.
added hyphens to back-to-back
removed comma in Stacy’s piece at “as a woman because”