Hillary Rodham Clinton has always been an inspiration of mine. Her tenacity, her strength, and her commitment, at many times in my life, have been an example of what it means to be a leader, but more than that, a female leader. The road she is on has never been traveled, and as she traverses these obstacles, I have to thank her, for making a way for me.
I have always been an overachiever. I began reading at three years old and never stopped. At six, when the other little girls were saying they wanted to be ballerinas or princesses, I wanted to be a lawyer. By the time I was 9, and the other little girls now wanted to be veterinarians or teachers, I had decided I wanted to be the President of the United States of America.
When I first decided that I wanted to be president, so happy was I that I ran to my mom and step dad and proudly declared my new, albeit lofty, aspirations. The reaction I received was not the one I had hoped for. My step father, looked at me for a few moments, obviously in deep thought. He then said to me, "You know, I don't know about that. A woman would really have to prove herself." I was crushed. I remember running to my room and crying. My mom came up a few minutes later and sat next to me on the bed I had thrown myself on in despair. She said to me what I had needed to hear in the beginning, but now seemed hollow, "You can be anything you want to be."
"No I can't," I cried, "Daddy doesn't think I can."
"He just hasn't seen one before...you can be the first."
Being the spitfire I am, I decided I would be president, if only to prove my step father wrong. I knew it would be hard. I had heard vaguely of the Women's Movement and the quest to gain the right to vote. I had heard extensively about the Civil Rights Movement and the violence that met the quest for equality. But they had stood strong in the face of unbelievable odds, and I took pride in the thought that I could do the same. Thankfully, because of Hillary, I wouldn't have to feel alone for long.
A few months before I turned 10, in 1995, I heard of a lady named Hillary Rodham Clinton, who had declared that "Women's rights are human rights." I did not fully understand then the courage it took to say those words on that stage, but I knew it meant a lot, especially for me. It was then, that I finally gained a role model, someone who I believed to be blazing the path I would someday take.
With a role model standing figuratively by my side I went about my overachieving ways. While she was in the White House fighting for Children's Health Insurance, I was that annoying girl in middle school that was always in class 10 minutes early, telling the chatty kids in the back to shoosh.
When she ran for the US Senate, and became the first First Lady to ever hold public office, I was the girl in high school who always had her hand up whenever the teacher would ask a question. When I got to college in 2004, there was lots of speculation about whether or not she would run for the position I had been striving for, for 10 years. I couldn't hide my giddiness and took it upon myself that year to right a speech for my Intro to Communication class, introducing her as the first female president of the United States. Needless to say, she didn't run that year, but fulfilled her promise to New York voters to serve her term. During this time, I became the opinionated, college girl, voicing my opinion and respectfully disagreeing with or avidly supporting the opinions and ideas that were shared in class.
Now I stand at the threshold of my future, getting ready to graduate college and move on to new heights and challenges, and Hillary is in the distance, attempting to clear away the last obstacle in both our roads to the White House; blazing her way toward history.
In my own way, I am fighting along side her; making calls, discussing issues with friends, canvassing, handing out homemade flyers. In our quest, for a few moments, on January 19, 2008, we were at the same point in the road.
A Solutions for America rally with Hillary and Bill was being held in St. Louis, Missouri. Myself and two friends road up that day, scanning the radio all the way for results of the Nevada caucus that was being held that day. We stood in line for hours, and then waited in the bleachers for another hour, but it was worth it. When Hillary and Bill entered the room the excitement was palpable. I was in a high school gymnasium watching her blazing her and my trail. Once she finished speaking, I seized my chance. I raced down the bleachers, unabashedly pushed people out of the way, climbed over chairs (at one point a Secret Service Officer tugged and my coat and told me to get down off the chair I was temporarily standing in) and squeezed through the crowd, until I was there at the rope line, my inspiration moving steadily towards me. And then, she was there, in front of me.
"I'm a student without health insurance, and you inspire me," I said, too nervous to do anything but be ridiculously honest.
"It's always so hard for students," she said, "What's your major?"
I stuttered a bit. She was asking about me. Looking me in the eye, truly concerned about me in that moment.
"Political Science, minor in Gender Studies."
"That's great."
"Can I get a picture with you," I asked, realizing the importance of documenting the moment.
"Of course," she responded as I handed my camera to her assistant who then took the picture that now means the most to me. Then, I shook her hand, and she was enveloped by the crowd. For those few moments, our paths crossed.
But while we are on the same road, she is miles ahead, and thus most of the battles are hers alone.
She has been attacked and bruised along the way but she's still standing. She has been confronted with personal attacks, but still she works for the betterment of our lives and our nation. She has been told to give up, but still she continues to fight. And as long as she is standing and fighting, I will be where I have always been, standing proudly behind her, until that final obstacle is removed from both our paths and we stand knowing that what so many said was impossible, has been made possible.
Hillary, will always be my girl.