Photo courtesy of Angela7dreams
International Women’s Day has been celebrated around the world since the early 1900s. Here at the Case Foundation, we believe in being fearless and overcoming challenges, and as we celebrate the women in our lives on March 8th, we encourage you to think about the women who have inspired you. Here are a few women throughout history who we believe embody the “Be Fearless” mantra:
Oprah Winfrey
Oprah understands how to make failure matter. When Oprah was starting out as an evening news anchor, she was fired for becoming too emotionally involved in the stories. She was given a daytime position (which was considered a huge step down from primetime), leading to the creation of “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” the highest-rated talk show in television history. Winfrey took her negative experiences used it to create who she is today, the richest self-made woman in America.
Madeline Albright
When we think of overcoming gender boundaries and experimenting early and often, we couldn’t think of a more worthy person than Madeline Albright. Albright worked her way to the top of D.C. politics by working in a variety of projects, ranging from foreign policy advising, failed presidential campaigns, and even nonprofit consulting. When she became Secretary of State in 1996, Albright’s wide range of experiences helped her tackle the role of the highest-ranking woman in the U.S. government. We are proud to see other fearless women follow in Madeline’s footsteps, like Condoleeza Rice and Hillary Clinton.
Wendy Kopp
Here at the Case Foundation, we value those who reach beyond their bubble. In 1989, Wendy Kopp didn’t expect her senior thesis to become the most competitive program for college graduates, however, that is exactly what Teach for America has become. She created a corps of college graduates to teach in under-performing schools, and this year, more than 10,000 students joined the team. In 2013 alone, TFA will help improve the educational lives of over 750,000 students.
Wilma Rudolph
Most people didn’t think Wilma Rudolph could make it to the Olympics, but she made big bets anyway. Fighting polio through her adolescent years, Rudolph powered through her pain to get better. During her first Olympics in 1956, “Skeeter” came home with a bronze, determined to return with the gold next time. And that’s just what she did. In 1960, she went to the Rome and became the first American woman to win three gold medals at a single Olympics.
Sheryl Sandberg
Lastly, we highlight a woman who made urgency conquer fear. She is the current COO of Facebook and she was the first female board member of the company. Sandberg has set a great example of how to take the business world by storm, balancing a high-profile and time-consuming job alongside with motherhood. She tackles everything head on and doesn’t let a challenge stop her from achieving her goals. She has just launched a new movement called Lean In, that offers women support and encouragement to achieve their goals.
Which other women do you think are fearless? Share in the comments or tell us @casefoundation on Twitter using #womensday or #IWD13, or on Facebook.