Brittany Maher, Editor-in-Chief //
Each year on March 8, we celebrate International Women’s Day. All around the world, this day represents an opportunity to commemorate the achievements of women while celebrating our unremitting progress.
To me, this day embodies a chance for young women like myself to say “thank you.” It’s a time to show appreciation to the girls and women who have made us feel stronger, more capable and have paved the way for women today to be successful in any endeavors we choose to pursue.
As Editor-in-Chief of The Sentinel, I am lucky to be in a position where I consistently feel respected as a female leader by both my peers and superiors and I’m grateful to those who came before me to make that possible. I’m also grateful to the people throughout my life who make me feel special and worthy of such achievements – the people that remind me every day that anything I want in life is achievable.
In honor of International Women’s Day, I want to say thank you to my teachers, advisors and editors whose wisdom gives me the confidence to work hard and pursue my goals. Thank you to my co-workers and fellow female professionals who encourage instead of compete with one another to realize our unique potentials, to our female friends who listen to us and support us no matter the circumstances and to the studious, hard-working, independent young women we are surrounded with in our classrooms.
I want to say thank you to influential female writers like Maya Angelou, JK Rowling, Jane Austen, Ayn Rand, Sylvia Plath and Emily Dickenson who refused to conform, refused to apologize for their thoughts and opinions, and transformed the world through their words.
I want to say thank you to the women who offer their unconditional love and support – our grandmothers, mothers, aunts and sisters who remind us every day to be better women whether it’s through helpful advice or by example – these are women who raise us to be warriors and the women who are never yielding in strength, severity, or determination.
I also want to say thank you to the men who respect us, value our thoughts and treat us as friends, colleagues and equals.
As we continue to move forward, I hope that our daughters can grow up in a world that values them as equals and treats them with love, dignity and respect.
“Each time a woman stands up for herself, without knowing it possibly, without claiming it, she stands up for all women.” – Maya Angelou
This year’s International Women’s Day theme is “Make it Happen.” Tweet @ksusentinel with the hashtag #MakeItHappen to share your thoughts on the influential women in your life.
