Too often, beauty is categorized as physical appearance. Women of all ages feel the pressures of society to live up to a certain standard or glamorization seen in magazines or movies. In ‘Strong is the New Pretty,’ we showcased female students and teachers that portray strength in various ways. Through these powerful women, we see that beauty is not only skin deep. True beauty is found on the inside, and these women encompass an amount of strength that no physical appearance could come close to. Gallery by Lulu Black and Laura Stancato.

Kelsey Habig, English department

“In my work, there are lots of times where I have to be the rock—the person in the room who’s calm and steady and I remember once, distinctly, one of my favorite students came to me after school in a whirlwind of disaster because she’d just found out that her mother had breast cancer. Having lost my grandfather to brain cancer when I was in high school, my heart broke in a million pieces for this student. This kid, this family, didn’t deserve the hell that I knew the road would be. All I wanted to do was curse and cry and scream, but that wouldn’t have helped my student. I had to be strong. I had to be the light. I had to be the safe space in which she could meltdown. Mrs. McGrath has a sticker on her laptop that says, “Empowered women empower women.” I love that. What a great reminder of how much we impact the people around us! Growing up, all humans model their behavior based on the world they see around them. For me being strong and empowering is important for both men and women. We need strong and empowered humans. Historically, men have played that role much more frequently than women have, therefore it’s extraordinarily important for women to model those behaviors for future generations. Why? Because empowered women empower women. There’s a delightful Rupi Kaur poem that speaks to this and to romantic relationships: “i do not want to have you/to fill the empty parts of me/i want to be full on my own/i want to be so complete/i could light a whole city/and then/i want to have you/cause the two of us combined/could set it on fire”. UMMMMMM, YES, PLEASE.”

Bre Burris, 11

“I was taught from a young age that it is important to be strong. Growing up, I struggled to understand what that meant. I am a small girl with blonde, curly hair and never associated myself with strength when I would look in a mirror. Being strong, in my opinion, has nothing to do with how much you can lift, or how tough you look. Being strong is being confident. Being strong is not being afraid. Being strong is willing to take risks. I live by the word “persevere.” Life is going to throw punches left and right. It is going to beat you to the point where getting up seems impossible, but being strong is getting up, time and time again, and continuing on.“

Yukthika Sajja, 10

“I think that one of the most important qualities for a woman to have is independence. Knowing that you don’t need anybody else but yourself to survive is an incredible feeling. I believe that no woman should ever have to depend on anyone else when they have the power achieve anything right at their fingertips. Why waste time looking for a successful partner when  you can be successful yourself? I think that you should be your own hero, not because you don’t have anyone else but because you can.”

Sophia Zhang, 11

“It’s important for women to be strong and empower others because of the overwhelming presence of ignorance that prevails in today’s age. Many will say that any and all inequality towards women doesn’t exist, but then continue to slut-shame and make attempts to cover up any “scandalous” skin as they do the same acts.”

Salma Mohammad, 10

“In the beginning of fifth grade, I practically begged my parents to wear the hijab, but they always abstained from letting me jump into it in fear of ridicule. At a fresh age, I didn’t understand that that ideology was present in society, so I wasn’t apprehensive. One day, while walking to a mall, a man dodged me like a had contracted a deadly disease and said “terrorist.” At the time, I didn’t understand what it meant, but upon asking, I wasn’t content with the result. I began realizing the responsibility I had set upon myself, but I began sinking under the pressure. I became very self- conscious and endured bullying throughout my school years. And every day, I had to stand up to that. All those years, led me to today, where I can unapologetically stand for what I believe in and be myself without the fear of ignorance shutting me down. Muslim women are on the front lines on this fight towards Muslim equality in America. I’m just another example of the strength and confidence we portray in getting up every morning and facing a world we often don’t feel welcome to.”

Jennifer Torres, English department

“I didn’t date much in high school. I was a strong, confident, opinionated young woman who wasn’t willing to change for anyone. I was also 6’2″ and towered over every guy in my class. I had a choice: hunch over and try to hide in the back or stand tall and be proud of who I was. My parents instilled in me a confidence and strength to always stand up for myself and my beliefs. As a mother, I work every day to instill that same confidence in my daughter.”

Stephanie Mokube, 12

“To me, a strong woman means someone who isn’t afraid of what anyone says about what she does. [A strong woman is] extremely confident in themselves and what they do, no matter what society may negatively say about them. Someone like that should be someone that all girls look up to because women in society are looked down upon for standing up for what they believe in or are simply ignored. If there is even one women in the world speaking up for what she believes in, it will influence women around the world to take a stand with her.”

Amy Shipley, English Department

“A strong woman encompasses so many things. She is determined and steadfast yet flexible and kind. She expresses emotions but is also logical. She communicates her ideas and thoughts but yet listens to others intently. A strong woman admits when she’s wrong or that she needs to learn more about a topic. She takes risks but yet does so with purpose. She can be the face of a cause or on the wings organizing and facilitating. A strong woman recognizes what needs to be done in various situations and assists in the ways she knows how. I can think of so many instances in teaching that have made me a stronger woman: times when I’ve admitted I don’t know the answer or accepted that I thought I knew the answer but that wasn’t the case; times when being flexible is the only solution despite time crunches and snow days and fire alarms; times of national crisis such as 9/11 or school shootings when we have painful, real discussions in class; times when all I want is for a student to succeed but he/she continues to make bad choice after bad choice and I have to decide how to best help this person; times when my students and I have to face an empty desk of a classmate who has died. Each day of teaching brings something new. I learn and grow as a professional, as a mom, as a person through my interaction with students on a nearly daily basis. Teaching and students make me stronger.”

Alexandra Bates, 11

“My mom had breast cancer and has shown me what strength means. Women need to be strong and empowering because that serves as a beacon of hope in bleak times. I’m truly inspired by the strength exhibited by her and hope that others may draw inspiration from her as well.”

Claire Wilkinson, 11

“Having Alopecia and being bald has taught me a lot about having strength. I’ve learned how to overcome my differences and always stay positive. I also get a lot of free stuff.”

Savannah Taylor, 11

“A strong woman refuses to be reduced by society. She sees the obstacles against her as a challenge for greatness and stands up for what she believes in, all while empowering those around her.”

Katie Murhling, 10

“Growing up as the youngest with two older brothers and a sister I was really taught to never take myself too seriously. My siblings always joked around with me and made me laugh, and I feel like having a sense of humor is something that is so important, and something women are often perceived not to have. Women can be funny and crazy and outgoing, and I feel like these skills have shown me to never get too offended and just roll with things.”

Gurinder Sembhi, 11

“I don’t believe in limiting anyone to anything. You never know what a person is capable of until you see them more than just a gender. At my old school, I was a Vice President of a Student Council. I have learned to make the best out of my seat, because I know if I didn’t then that seat would be taken over by someone else. I want to be like water which can take the form of anything. We don’t need to do things that are defined by society, you should aim to achieve the goals that make you chase your dreams.”

Jada Edson, 12 

“From a very young age, my mom explained to  me that I would have to deal with a lot of things in life being part African American and a woman. “She raised me to be strong enough to deal with the prejudice, along with never letting someone take my voice. Male or female, white or black, everyone has a voice and often women become drowned out or pushed to silence but the voice of their male counterparts. In my life I’ve had to be strong in order to be heard and to accomplish the things that I want. Often my drive and assertive nature comes off as aggressive which often has a negative connotation but, in my case, I don’t mind it. If being aggressive means accomplishing everything I want to in life, then so be it. Women overall need to be aggressive and take charge of their lives, because women are taking over the world, becoming more confident, making new discoveries, and reaching out into the unknown.”

Ellie Johnson, 9

“I believe that women should be strong and empowering because in the hardest times of your life, when everything seems to be tough, having strength on your side can be the difference between falling apart or coming out of the situation a stronger person.”

Yashi Phougat, 10

“My parents engraved into me that regardless of my gender, I’ll always be able to work hard and pursue my dreams.”

Katie Sevier, 10

“I lost my vision in kindergarten, and I went through a lot of work to adapt and figure out how to function in life. Along the way of learning Braille and finding new strategies to get things done, I found out how strong and resilient I could be, and my definition of beauty changed. Physical appearance was no longer important. A deeper, more meaningful beauty comes from someone’s personality and how they engage with life. I have had to overcome many challenges. I have found that where there is a will, there is a way. If you are willing to work hard and keep a good attitude, you can overcome anything.”

Audrey Andritsch, 11

“I have had to learn to be strong when my brother had cancer. I had to help support him, the rest of my family, and myself when I was a young girl. Women need to be strong because life is hard and learning to be strong and how to handle difficult situations makes it so much more enjoyable through the tough times.” 

Silvana Gold, 11

“[To me], the idea of a strong woman is any woman who has a lot of self-confidence and knows where to take that confidence. [A strong woman is] someone who can achieve high goals in a career or simply stand up for something they believe in.”

Bridgette Wolfe, 9

“Being a strong woman to me isn’t physical. It’s mental and emotional. It’s not letting your difficulties define you. I struggle severely with depression and anxiety, sometimes I feel my strongest after my worst panic attacks or after I’m in a very low state. It reminds me that I can get through the worst because without my depression I would never truly know what happiness feels like. I feel my strongest after my weakest because I know I’m able to be get through it. That’s what being a strong woman is to me.”

Katie Edwards, 10

“I had to be strong in my life when my younger cousin had brain surgery. I went to the hospital everyday so that I could be strong for her and do whatever I could so that she had less stress. It’s like the concept on how strong women need to support other strong women.”

Tayma Adie, 9

“To me, being a strong woman means that I can live life without cracking to the pressures and without letting anyone take advantage of me. It took me over three years to change myself from a weak, naïve lonely little girl to a strong, confident person who an take on anything that comes her way, and that means the world to me.”

Ana Johnson, 11

“It’s important for women to take control of their own lives because otherwise no change will ever happen. If men rule our lives then nothing is ever going to be different. We will always be the care givers, nurses, and teachers. We have to stand up for ourselves and insist on being leaders, scientists, and mathematicians along with being mothers and care givers. Women can’t accept the treatment they receive but must stand up for equality. Women also must be strong amidst the double standards. We can’t accept being called bossy for being a leader while men are praised for it. We must stand up against slut shaming and be strong amidst the constant doubt placed on us by ourselves and others. Without this confidence and strength no women in the future will feel comfortable speaking out against anyone. We must be trailblazers for the future and inspire them to lead us into a more equal society. As Jasmine Kaur said, “Scream so that one day a hundred years from now another sister will not have to dry her tears wondering where in history she lost her voice.” 

Mia Becker, 11

“Being from another country has taught me strength. I was born in South Korea and adopted into a community where many of the people looked different than I did. Growing up, I had to learn to be content with who I am, and not compare myself to anyone else. And now, I couldn’t be happier with the person that I am today.”