In my freshman English class, we were told to write an informative essay about someone who’s words inspire change. Of course, the majority of kids wrote about people like Abraham Lincoln, or George Washington. Some wrote about their favorite singer or football player. I wrote about Peggy Whitson. She isn’t a president or a singer, she’s a female astronaut who broke barriers in scientific fields. She was the first female commander of the International Space Station. She was the first person on the International Space Station to have a Ph.D And she holds the record for the longest amount of time spent in space. 665 days. Making her N.A.S.A’s most experienced astronaut.
‘What does that have to do with anything?’
It’s not just Peggy. There are so many people that are breaking boundaries and showing us that gender should not influence our career choices. Rowan Blanchard, an aspiring director. Denise Scott Brown, a female architect who has been breaking through barriers for five decades. And it’s not just women, male makeup artists like Manny MUA and James Charles are breaking barriers too.
Everyone that is breaking a gender barrier is influencing those around them. Doing so, they open others’ minds to the new reality that is male beauty gurus and female CEOs. This new reality is especially important to today’s younger generation. Role models like Rowan and James are showing these children that being a girl or boy shouldn’t affect what you’re going to be when you grow up.
Gender should not dictate what you do. It shouldn’t prevent you from doing something you love. It should be irrelevant when you’re thinking about your career. So if you want to be the CEO of a company, an aerospace engineer, or an astronaut. Do it. Go to the moon. Design a rocket. Program a robot. Don’t let anything stop you. It shouldn’t matter if you plan on having kids. Not if you’re a minority. Not if you are part of the LGBTQ+ community.
Because the only thing that should matter when you’re applying for a job is what you have to offer.
P.S. Thanks for reading this article!! I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. As a female who plans to go into a STEM career, I believe that it’s important to show young girls that being a female should not affect whether or not they choose to have a career in this field. I hope you have an amazing day (or night, depending on when you’re reading this)!
xoxoxo, Isabell
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