Fin

So if you haven't figured out yet, our group has been blogging to inspire you all to reach higher and dream bigger.

It's time to go!

Just kidding! I still have more to write!

I've learned so much from this exercise, and wanted to share a last few words of wisdom to you all.

• Like a lot of my friends said…blogging is hard. It's difficult writing about something you are passionate about but keeping it short enough for the attention spans of readers…if you think about it…this may be too long!
• You really can do anything….when thinking about schools to write about, I listened to the stories of a lot of my friends at different universities and found no single way to a top tier institution. As long as you put your nose to the grindstone, anything is possible. I would recommend reading up on a few colleges, and then applying to the ones you can see yourself! College is amazing. Do not do anything less!
• Againn keep reaching for the stars! College is not the end, and you have the rest of your life to do great things. Find a few role models. There are plenty inspiring people in politics, teaching at your schools, and in your own family! Look at their paths to success, emulate them and surpass them

Hope you enjoyed our posts! But now it is time to log out! Good luck with everything

-Francis

In need of inspiration?

Via

This list of women is a fabulous one to check out!
Forbes has named women from Michelle Obama to Beyonce as the most powerful women in today's world.

Check out the list here:
The 100 Most Powerful Women

Famous Last Words

Writing this blog has been fun and frustrating, but overall, it's been fascinating. Here are just a few things I learned while writing for you each week:

Follow your passions, and encourage others to do the same! None of the women we featured on this blog would have reached their goals if they weren't excited about their work.

Blogging is hard work! Figuring out what will interest readers while keeping posts informative and short is a skill I've (hopefully) developed.

Women have, and continue to reach success in political and leadership roles; from Nancy Pelosi to Angela Merkel, women  are taking a place at the table. While we are far from gender equality, women have assumed an important role in organizations and governments across the world.

There's no one answer to increase political interest among girls. Maybe we should encourage political organizations to reach out to teenagers, or require schools to teach more courses on American politics. Whatever the solutions may be, showing girls that politics is an exciting, accessible and important interest is key.

If there's one thing you take away from this blog, let it be this: 

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It's one of the most impactful pieces of advice I've ever received, so now I'm passing it to you.
- Susanna

Women Who Make America

I was browsing the internet (read: procrastinating) and came across this awesome website called Makers: Women Who Make America. The project aims to compile the stories of trailblazing women from across the country through tons of video interviews. Makers looks to document the paths of women in all kinds of different fields, especially in those usually dominated by men like business, technology, sports and politics. It is a great, empowering way to put off writing my essay. 

Anyways, one of my favorite interviews is with Nancy Pelosi, the former Speaker of the House. As the first female Speaker, she had no choice but to learn how to make her voice heard in a room filled with men. This is one of my favorite videos of her...

                   

This quote especially resonated with me: "It's in everybody's interest, Democrats and Republicans, to have many more women in all parties represented in Congress, and in government, and in business, and across the board.  I know that nothing has been more wholesome for our political system, for our government than the increased participation of women"

It's so powerful to hear from someone on the inside of politics just how far we as women have come  and how much more we can do. It really makes me want to go out and get involved. Like right now...

Watch some of the other interviews on Makers and let me know which are your favorites!

Daily Inspiration (and Olympics!)

"She who has the will to win, cannot be beaten"

via

Good luck to the US women's hockey team in the gold medal match this Thursday!

Inspiration for Sunday Workday.

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If you are on the internet right now looking at our blog, you are probably doing what I am….Procrastinating. 

I just wanted to give a little advice for the college application process. Everyone tells you that you must be in a sport, must play an instrument, and be in every club to get into the college of your dreams.

I want to let you know that is completely false.

Do what makes you happy and work your hardest at that. Get good grades, of course. But don't join clubs you don't enjoy….because that is a waste of the precious time you have in life to do what you love. 

Start an traditional irish step club, create an origami society, start a campus beautification project. That is what my friends did and they all got into college!

Positive Publicity

via People

After reading Julia's post a few days ago, I came across this amazing ad campaign by Diesel. Diesel searched for models of all backgrounds, and created an ad campaign celebrating every individual. Jillian Mercado, the woman on the right, is battling muscular dystrophy, yet leads an active life as a fashion blogger and photographer. And trust me, she totally works the camera! No matter how tough my day has been after classes, meetings and practice, women like Jillian inspire me to keep going!

Just Keep Swimming

photo via

When I first came to college, I had absolutely no idea what I was doing. I came from a small high school with a tight knit group of friends, and soon found myself lost. I had so much free time that I didn't know what to do with myself, let alone how to make new friends. I called my sister for advice, and she told me to be patient (something I'm not very good at), and give everything some time. As an older sister, of course she was right, and a few weeks later I felt like I had been on campus for years. Whether you're starting at a new school, a new activity, or are just feeling overwhelmed, don't give up! Pretty soon you'll feel like a pro, so like Dory says, just keep swimming!