Top 4 Inspiring Women Who Will Motivate You Through Finals

By Michelle Kim on May 2, 2014

I find it fairly difficult to keep up with the “How to survive finals week…” stories because I’m the type of person who can never stay on track with commitments the articles suggests.

However, I have come to realize that reading motivational quotes or stories keeps me going — mainly because it is something that can be read once and you’ll remember the piece well if the people make a strong impression.

So here’s a list of inspiring female muses and their success stories that will safely guide us through finals week. 

 

1. Lupita Nyong’o

Rising star Lupita Nyong’o is the new Hollywood gem who appeared through “12 Years a Slave” in 2013. The Oscar winner and Kenyan actress not only gained her fame by her acclaimed work but also by shedding light onto an exceptional standard of beauty that captivated many people’s attention.

“She is such a beautiful role model for all women, especially women of color no matter what shade you are and giving young girls someone to look up to,” It’s Relevant, LLC reporter Kwegyirba Croffie said. “She is gorgeous inside and out and is, in my opinion, redefining what America sees and thinks is beautiful.”

Three weeks before graduating the Yale School of Drama, Nyong’O was given a very unexpected opportunity — she was casted by Steve McQueen for a leading female character in “12 Years a Slave.” Though Nyong’o perfectly deserves to earn the fame, she proved to the world that miracles can happen and enlightened an optimistic spirit to many of us.

During the Oscars Nyong’o spoke the words of wisdom, “For every little child, no matter where you are from, your dreams are valid.”

 

2. Ellie Krieger

In the food and health arena, Ellie Krieger is the leading woman as she brings attainable diet habits to keep up a healthy lifestyle.

Today, Krieger is the host of one of the most successful Food Network show, “Health Appetite,” and a best-selling author.

However Krieger did not simply gain national recognition out of nowhere. Through her experience as a model in her early 20s at the Wilhelmina Models agency, Krieger was able to unravel a more unique, delicious and healthy way to help her own and other models to maintain a nutritious and balanced diet.

We often have biased perceptions of diets. But Krieger’s positive view over food that spread all over the world assures how there is a catalyst for everything.

“She is the first dietitian to have a cooking show on the Food Network,” Editor-In-Chief of College Lifestyles Shelly Redmond said. “She made it in a traditional ‘chefs’ world. Incredibly hard to do and I find so inspiring!”

 

3. Lena Dunham

The once self-captivated, unpopular and inactive woman has become one of the most respected, favored and successful American filmmaker and actress. Lena Dunham, the creator and star of an HBO television show, Girls, has no shame for who she was and has now changed into.

Girls — unlike the glamorous, success shows of career women we encounter today — is more of a bleak and obscene show that portrays four New York women in their early twenties seeking ways of living and finding their identity. As the show progressed, viewers often criticized Dunham for including frequent nudity throughout the show. Not only was she gaining detestation for her work, but she has also been insulted for her physical appearance.

Though she is either under the good or bad public spotlight, Dunham does not fall for those who do not approve her — if anything, she takes advantage of it to achieve more.

“She isn’t afraid to put herself and her work out there for all to see and critique, and doesn’t let rude comments set her back,” Central Michigan University senior Jessica Fecteau said. “She is a powerhouse – writer, actress, producer and director all at the same time.”

 

4. Kathryn Bigelow

There’s not a confined career path that must be taken to be successful. As cliché as it sounds, you’re never too late to find your true passion and achieve your dreams.

A leading witness is Kathryn Bigelow and amazingly, she only started studying film as a graduate student at Columbia University from originally getting a degree in painting and visual arts at San Francisco Art Institute.

As odd as it may sound, especially regarding her background, today Bigelow is the first woman in history to win the Academy Awards for Best Director with The Hurt Locker and has gained wide criticism for her other film, Zero Dark Thirty — a film that transpired the Obama’s administration and shed negative light onto a real life CIA agent during the painstaking hunt for Osama bin Laden.

“I would give a lot of credit to Kathryn Bigelow,” Editor of Uloop News at the University of Iowa Olivia Kaiser said. “She is the first woman to ever win an Oscar for best director and she did it with a small film, beating out her ex-husband who directed Avatar.”

In spite of starting off her film career later than other famed directors, Bigelow shows confidence in her work and denies withdrawing from the “masculine” film world — the action and adventure genre. However, Bigelow is not a feminist; she is purely fascinated in bringing creative alternatives to the traditional representation of the world, a world that is often camouflaged.

 

Our last month of school may be one of the most draining periods, however, keep in mind that you’re doing all this work for yourself. As far as we can commonly discover through our four muses, continue on being curious, finding new interests, believing in your potentials, and discovering yourself.

 

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