We asked Conn Coll Her Campus writers to tell us about a woman in their life who inspires them in some way, whether it be someone in their life or a public figure. Here’s what they said:
In thinking of inspiring women, I cannot help but mention environmental movement icon Rachel Carson! As an English and Environmental Studies student, I have always found her famous novel Silent Spring fascinating and, of course, learned about it starting from the very first ES classes I took. The ways she managed to turn the poorly-understood and difficult-to-explain topic of pesticide overuse into an accessible and powerful piece of prose while being a woman speaking out against a widely-accepted practice in a male-dominated world leaves me with great and unyielding admiration for her. Side note for my fellow Conn students especially – Linda Lear, the environmental historian and Conn graduate that our Special Collections and Archives center is named after, is the author of a biography on Carson titled Rachel Carson: Witness of Nature!
- Caroline Snyder, ‘26
While there are SO many women who inspire me, I have two I would like to specifically talk about. They both seem like slightly basic answers, but I promise they have both affected me in various ways. First is my mom! I am inspired everyday by her kindness and generosity, spirit for helping others (she works as a psychologist), and desire for learning (she has a PhD). She always encourages me to be my best self and has motivated my desire to pursue a career in education. She has shown me that there are no boundaries to the kind of impact you can make in this world. The second woman I would like to mention is Taylor Swift (and my mom would support this answer, too). While I am obviously a big fan of her music and performance qualities, I am most inspired by her confidence in the face of sexism. The media has shown time and time again that people will always hate on a woman being successful. Through my many years of being a fan, I have noticed that Taylor receives the most hate whenever she releases new music or makes a public appearance, specifically when she seems the happiest. One example of this would be the constant booing of her presence at football games, when she is simply there to watch and support her team like every other audience member. I cannot imagine the kind of emotional toll misogynistic comments have on her, but I always admire her determination to ignore the haters and continue doing what she loves. I know that her success has had an impact on so many young girls, myself included. Happy Women’s History Month to you all! Remember to never let anyone’s opinion of you hold you back!
- Allie Ziegler ‘27
As lucky as I feel to be surrounded every day by so many talented and strong women, the blueprint for essentially everything I have learned has always been my mom. My mom is hands-down one of the smartest people in my life and gives the best advice, even when I don’t want to hear it! She’s a middle school teacher and volunteers with our local library and Rotary program. On top of that, she also managed to raise four children, a number that feels more and more impressive of a feat the older I get. She’s always there to support my endeavors or give me a much-needed reality check, and it’s no exaggeration to say that I would not be the person I am without her influence in my life.
- Tessa Stayton ‘25