10 Women Who Changed My Life

Every month when I read my issues of Glamour I see an article about the ten women who've changed someone's life. So I've felt that it's my turn at it.

1. April Gabbert (my old stepmother): She was my first strong female role model. I've known her since I was two until I was seventeen, I believe. She taught me things I needed to know about growing up and getting passed my CP with pure determination. She and I may not have always seen eye-to-eye, but she impressed me every day. She was/is a wonderful artist and still a strong woman. 
2. Ms. Kalea (best friend's mom and family friend): I've known her since I was eight years old. Like April she was a strong woman I've always looked up to. She's a strict but fair mother figure. She always called me on my shit and taught me valuable lessons. 
3. Christine Beistsch (my first boss): I was nineteen when I met her, and when I found out she had two jobs and started a volunteer program to help Californians I was in awe. She always worked so hard to help people get shelter, food, clothes, and more through the community and vouchers. I was so happy to work under her. She also loved her volunteers and clientele alike. 
4. Jodi Harris (my second boss): I worked as a volunteer under her as well while I volunteered under Christine. She taught me how to balance both volunteer jobs. She was helping tutor kids in need, and I helped some of those kids as well. She was also a friend who was easy to talk to. 
5. Evette Chico (my mother in law): I call this woman Mom most of the time. She's always there for her family and friends. She's nearly "adopted" seventy (?) of her kids' friends. She opened her home to me when I needed a place to stay and has helped me learn a lot about being an adult. 
6. Malala Yousafzai (Nobel Peace Prize winner and role model): I look up to her because she stands up for what she believes in no matter the cost. She fights for kids to get an educations. She's held herself well ever since we heard about her story years ago. 
7. Max Ride (fictional character): I first picked up Maximum Ride books by James Patterson when I was thirteen. She was a strong role model for me because she was around my age and taking care of kids around her age. She taught me how to be a good, strong leader and when it was time to back down. I still read any Max related books such as the manga and comic books as well. 
8. Toph Beifong (fictional character): She may be blind, but that never really slowed her down. In fact through both the Avatar: The Last Airbender and Legend of Korra series you got to see how fearless and determined she always was. She had to leave her family because they always saw her as weak and fragile and she wanted to see the world and help out "Twinkle Toes". 
9. Tali'Zorah (fictional character): She's a young Quarian from the Mass Effect games. She was sent on a Pilgrimage which is kind of like spring break for the Amish people, but the Quarians are encouraged to find something of value to bring home. When she meets Shepard she joins the team and helps Shepard on their mission (Shepard can be male or female). She still goes back home after a while, but when Shepard needs help again she's more than happy to help. She's loyal, intelligent, and intriguing. 
10. Liara T'Soni (fictional character): Also from Mass Effect. She wanted to learn about other cultures through their artifacts. But she also got to learn about other cultures through getting to know them and on the field when she joined Shepard on their mission. She always wanted to learn more and she was respectful to every species no matter what.