I am an avid runner, I run because it is my stress relief,
my “me” time, and it allows me to keep eating the things I love. Many people
run for different reasons and a woman that I look up to in the running world is
Kathrine Switzer. Kathrine Switzer was the first woman to run the Boston
Marathon however at the time women were not allowed to run such long distances
and she entered the race as a male. Many of the men in the race were amazed to
have a woman running with them however race officials were not very happy with
her entry and tried numerous times to literally force her from the race.
Kathrine Switzer was a courageous woman not only because she ran a race with a
bunch of men but because she defied the odds. She decided one day that she
would prove to the running world that women were not “too fragile” to run long
distances like 26.2 miles. Kathrine inspires me to become not only a better
runner but to become someone that reaches for my dreams and goals even when the
odds are stacked against me. As a teacher/counselor I want to inspire others to
do the same and I think to do that I must lead by example and show students
that if you set your mind to accomplish something or be something you can
become the person you have always dreamed of being. Kathrine inspires me to
become a better role model for females, to pave the way so that the challenges
that lie ahead are not accomplished alone but together.
Switzer, K. The Girl
Who Started it All. Runner’s World, 26 March 2007. Web. 19 February 2013.
Another woman that I am always amazed by
is Hillary Clinton. Now, I don't really identify as democrat or republican and
if I vote, I vote on the issues, so my amazement with her has nothing to do
with her democratic identification but more with her character and leadership.
She has gone through the mud and survived on numerous occasions, her husbands
alleged affair, her recent defense against some decisions and events that have
occurred in the war zone and no matter what she pulls through and does her job.
She inspires me because in career dominated by males she has proven to be more
successful than many of the men out there. She handles the pressures of the
political career with poise and determination; to me it seems she is always
focused on doing the right thing even when it is not the most popular. I strive
to live my life that way too, doing what is right even if there may be
backlash. She inspires me to also become a great leader and positive role model
for women, showing them that doing what you are passionate about doesn’t always
come easy but if you work hard and love what you are doing it pays off in the
long run. Who knows, maybe I will be voting for her in 2016…
News Anchor Anderson Cooper is one of the bravest news
anchors in my opinion. Not because he reports while bombs and bullets are
flying overhead but because he came out to his viewers this past year, proud to
be gay. I admire him for his bravery because he is a very public figure and
because of this he received many hateful responses to his openness, responses that
he knew would find their way to him and he still chose to be honest with
himself and those around him and come out to the nation. During my school counseling education I took a
diversity class that really opened my eyes to the diverse population of the US.
As a nation, we classify everyone around us by not only how they dress but how
much money they make, the color of their skin, and especially their sexual
preference. People in our society pass judgments on others when anothers
life is not ours to judge. Anderson Cooper courageously came out to this judgmental
society and was proud of it. He set an example for all LGBTQ individuals that
says, be proud of whom you are even if the world does not always agree. Every
person in our nation should learn from him, I know that from him I take away
the power to be myself in a world that is judgmental, as a teacher/counselor I
take away strength to help students who are struggling with their sexual
preference to be honest with themselves and stand up for their rights.
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