The Women That Shaped Me

In my life, I have been fortunate enough to be shaped by several incredible women. Each one taught me valuable life lessons that I carry with me to this day. With them in my life, I have been changed for the better, and I am thankful for every one of them. 

Isabella, Megan, and Raquel

Meet my original girl gang. (From right to left) Isabella, Megan, Raquel and I all became close through high school marching band. Multiple twelve-hour rehearsals in the Florida heat, combined with 48-hour competition days, really give us something to bond over. When we weren’t comparing terrible sock tans or dying of heat exhaustion, we sang along to musicals and had tea parties in hotel rooms.

Through their friendship, I learned the importance of sharing my feelings with others and gained friends that always comfort each other whenever someone isn’t having a good day. On the bad days, we’ll often text each other, or we’ll make each other playlists of our favorite songs. Or we’ll send memes; we’re big fans of memes.

These women empower me every day to be unapologetically me. With their support, I feel confident in pushing myself creatively and academically while maintaining mental stability. I can say with complete certainty that I would not be as happy as I am today without them in my life.

Callie, Lizzy, and Brenna

(From left to right) Callie, Lizzy, Brenna and I have had some crazy times together. We started as random roommates freshman year and immediately became really close friends. We had many midnight jam sessions with Lizzy’s ukulele and helped each other with the transition into college life. I often hear horror stories of students trying random roommates and despising the people they were forced to live with, but that never happened to us. Even though we don’t live together this year, we still talk almost every day and we hang out whenever we can.

Callie, Lizzy and Brenna were the first friends I made in college. By meeting them, I have gained new interests, met new people and laughed more than I have ever laughed in my life. They have empowered me to become more extraverted and even expand my sense of style. Through our friendship, we always have at least one shoulder to cry on, which is really nice to have in college. With them, I never have to worry about how I look, what I say or what I do, because I know we will always love each other.

Mimi

Mimi inspires me to work on myself. From doing yoga to eating clean, she motivates me to improve both my mind and body. On the more fun side, she is one of the people who sparked my love for horror movies. She also introduced me to costume makeup. One Halloween, I wanted to be a zombie, so she made latex wounds and covered my face in fake blood until I looked like The Walking Dead with braces.

Mimi was a major contributor to my personality. Whenever she talked to my mom in the backyard, I always listened to the way she told funny stories. Her jokes always landed really well, and I often tried to mimic her delivery when I told stories. Without her in my life, I don’t think I would have embraced my weird side as much, and I’d have fewer crazy stories to tell. I know I can always count on her to be there for me, and I am truly grateful for her being in my life. 

Natalia

My cousin Natalia is probably one of the craziest people I have ever met in my life. Not only did she leave everything and move to America, but she also managed to start college while working full time and speaking English as a second language. At one point, she was working three jobs and helping around the house, and she still managed to have a better social life than me.

From navigating boy troubles to sneaking out at midnight to buy ice cream, I can always count on her to be my partner in crime. When I’m with her, I actually enjoy my time, and my anxiety doesn’t force me to think about everything that could go wrong. Overall, everything is more fun around her. I never had a sister, but I think this is what it would be like if I did.

Mom

When I was in Kindergarten, my mom gave me an angel pin and said to kiss it whenever I missed her, and she claimed she would feel it when she was working. I kissed the pin every day after the Pledge of Allegiance because I would have rather been with her than sitting at a desk in my uncomfortable school uniform. Even now, when I get anxious, the only thing that can calm me down is talking to my mom.

My mom is the one person who I know will always love me unconditionally. I can say in full confidence that, no matter what, she will always be in my corner when I need her. My mom inspires me to get up in the morning and work hard at everything I do. Growing up, I often compared myself to what she was doing at my age. When she turned 17, she dropped everything to move to America for a better life. When I turned 17, I finally figured out why its better to separate darks from lights when doing laundry. My mom didn’t know anyone when she came to America and worked hard to put herself through school to get where she is today. She sacrificed so much to provide for me, and I just hope that one day I can repay her for all that she has done for me.

This International Women’s Day, think about the women in your life who have helped shape you into who you are today. Maybe try thanking them. After all, it takes a village.

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