By: Hear Her
(Google Doodle)
International Women’s Day is a global holiday celebrated annually on March 8 to honor the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating women’s equality. It is a focal point in the women’s rights movement, bringing attention to issues such as gender equality, reproductive rights, and violence and abuse against women (International Women’s Day).
Hear Her is a Women’s Empowerment Club, founded and led by Myra S., in 11th grade, to create awareness about the importance of equality, and to provide a platform for the voices of women. Hear Her will hold a self-defense workshop, a coding workshop, generate funds for struggling female entrepreneurs using micro-loans, and many other activities. Hear Her counts as CAS and Service as Action. With this article, we are celebrating women that have inspired us, who we think are superwomen.
Women of the Past:
Jane Austen
By: M.S.
Jane Austen was an English writer.Through her literary works, she was an important social commentator and one of the first writers to introduce a new style of writing (Network, Heartware).
Austen’s novels were written around the time of the early women’s rights movement when women were starting to think about equal rights. Her heroines defy gender norms, and push for more agency in their own lives (Güney). Today, her books are read all over the world and have been made into many adaptations.
Lise Meitner
By: L.P.
Lise Meitner (Nov 1878 – Oct 27th, 1968) was a physicist who, as a woman in a male-dominated natural science, had to fight against discrimination her whole life. Although she had a big part in the discovery of nuclear fission, the Nobel prize was only awarded to her colleague Otto Hahn, which is still known as the greatest academic injustice that ever happened to her. Even when she was nominated 48 times for the Nobel Prize, she never received it. Instead, she got the „Max Planck Medal“ in 1949, the “Otto Hahn Prize” in 1955 and “Enrico Fermi Award” in 1966.
Ada Lovelace
By: M.S.
Ada Lovelace was an English mathematician and in 1843, she became the world’s first computer programmer. She worked with Charles Babbage on his very early mechanical computer, the Analytical Engine, by writing the world’s first machine algorithm for it. Her work is especially visionary and inspiring as women lacked access to education at that time, let alone education for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math). Today, she is world-famous and is also known as a pioneer of modern computer science (Network, Heartware).
Marie Curie
By: M.S.
Marie Curie was a Polish and French physicist and chemist who conducted pioneering research on radioactivity. She is remembered for the discovery of radium and polonium and also for her contributions to finding treatment for cancer. She was the first woman to receive a Nobel Prize award and in total won two Nobel Prize awards in her lifetime. Her efforts put into the Physics, Chemistry and even Medicinal field were not left unnoticed and today, she is seen as the woman who changed Science (Network, Heartware).
Katherine Graham
By: M.S.
Katherine Graham was the chairman of the board of The Washington Post Co. for 20 years, which she led to be one of the top newspapers in the United States, most notably when it published The Pentagon Papers and reported on the Watergate scandal. She was the first woman CEO of a Fortune 500 Company and was also one of the first female publishers of U.S. newspapers. In 1998, She won a Pulitzer Prize for her autobiography, ‘Personal History’ (Network, Heartware).
Maya Angelou
By: M.S.
Maya Angelou was an activist, journalist, actor, dancer and poet. Today, she is a world-famous author. She is known for her autobiographical style and for using her work to empower the African American community. Her autobiography, ‘I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings’, made a huge impact on the literary world and opened doors for African American authors and women. Through her fights as a civil rights activist, she has inspired many people and women to aim for a better future (Network, Heartware).
Women of the Present:
Ms. Howald
By: M.S.
Ms. Howald is a super woman. The amount of effort and care she puts in all of her lessons, inspires us to learn and be as dedicated as she is. She is an incredibly kind and has unfailing patience. I love how she creates and shares with us the entire month’s learning plan, it helps sooooo much. Thank you so much!
Ms. Riehl
By: M.S.
Ms. Riehl is a super woman. She takes immense care of us all, with such a warm and welcoming nature. She helps all of us so much and we don’t even notice. Thank you so much for everything you do!
Ms. Koch
By: R.O.
Ms. Koch is a superwoman. She is a petite and amazing person who supports the running of MIS as a secretary. You won’t see her everyday, but I believe everyone has at least seen her in senior school once during the time in school. Her recent participation in the fashion show was brilliant. Her sparkly black flattering dress was eye-catching! She is an inspiring individual and a valuable member of the MIS community.
Ms. Schmidt
By: M.S.
Ms. Schmidt is a super woman. She is such an amazing and helpful person. As a counsellor, she is just the best. I tend to be very passionate and hyperactive regarding my future, she really helps me to focus and guides me to calmly approach it. Thank you so much!
Dr. Petry
By: M.S.
Dr.Petry is a super woman. She has helped my coding skills improve so much this past year. She is always eager to help a student who doesn’t understand. She makes the boring topics, interesting. She is a very warm, considerate and understanding person. Thank you so much!
Ms.Sanchez
By: M.S.
Ms. Sanchez is a super woman. She is super sweet, and lights up the room when she walks in. She is always ready to help a student with whatever they need. She is a very comforting and cozy person. You are an amazing homeroom teacher, thank you for the past 3 years of fun!
Ms. Brassington
By: M.S.
Ms. Brassington is a super woman. She has helped me so much, not just in English last year, but in life. To be more open to new things. She is a genuinely sweet and warm person. She teaches with so much care for each student, it is truly inspiring. It was a privilege to be taught by her. She also has the cutest cats. Thank you so much for everything!
Ms. Brys
By: O.MZ.
Ms. Brys is a super woman. She is an extraordinary teacher who truly inspires all of her English students. Her lessons strike the perfect balance between being both entertaining and educational, making each class an enjoyable learning experience. Not only that, but Ms. Brys also helped me improve my English grade, providing guidance and support that proved to be invaluable. Her dedication to her students is truly admirable, and her willingness to lend a helping hand is a testament to her kindness and commitment to teaching. All in all, I consider myself fortunate to have such an amazing teacher like Ms. Brys, who has made a significant impact on my academic journey and has helped me grow as a student.
Mrs. Herwig
By: C.A.
Mrs. Herwig is a really cool teacher! She always makes sure we learn something. She’s fun and plans activities that everyone enjoys. Thanks to her, we’re never bored in class and we all learn a lot. We’re lucky to have her as our teacher!
Ms.Connemann
By: M.S.
Ms.Connemann is a superwoman. She always wants the best for students, for us to have a voice. That is why she weekly dedicates time for the Buchhof Bulletin, to ensure that students can openly express themselves. After the past 3 years in the club, her helpful and warm attitude have helped me to write some of my best articles. Thank you so much!
Women of the Future:
Greta Thunberg
By: K.P.
In August of 2018, Greta was 15 when she skipped school on a Friday to protest outside the parliament for action against climate change. By November of that year, thousands of people from around the world had joined her in her weekly “Fridays for future” strikes. Since then, she’s been nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize twice, sailed from the UK to the US for a U.N. climate summit, won the 2019 Right Livelihood award, was Time Magazine’s person of the year, won the Gulbenkian Prize for Humanity, published The Climate Book, and filed a lawsuit against Sweden along with 600 other young people (Tridimas).
Amanda Gorman
By:M.W.
Amanda Gorman was born on March 7th, 1998, in Los Angeles, California. She is an American poet and activist and addresses topics such as feminism, marginalization, climate change, and black identity within her works. Amanda and her siblings were raised by a single mother, and both her and her twin sisters had difficulty with speech. Gorman had specifically an auditory-processing disorder, and she used poetry an an inexpensive way of expressing herself. At a young age Gorman became a youth delegate for the United Nations, and later was named the inaugural Los Angeles Youth Poet Laureate. Since then, she has worked in Human Relations to develop youth programs, studied at Harvard University, as well as published projects and books such as “The One for Whom Food is Not Enough” (2015). In 2021 Gorman became the inaugural Poet for President Biden, and through her elegant wordplay and address of pressing issues, the poet immediately captivated the audience and has continued to grow her fame ever since. Amanda Gorman is an extremely inspirational women, especially through the empowering words she has chosen to share with the world.
Chandana
By: O.MZ.
Chandana is a future super woman. As a friend, she is a constant source of inspiration and has been a pillar of support for me. Her positive energy and infectious enthusiasm for life never fail to lift my spirit, and I always feel better after spending time with her. However, her talents extend far beyond being an amazing friend. She is an absolute academic weapon. Her determination inspires all of her friends, and she continually motivates me to become a better version of myself, supporting me wherever she can. Her astonishing abilities in Maths, Physics, and Computer Science will undoubtedly lead her to a successful career as a woman in STEM. I am grateful to have her in my life and know that she will continue to inspire and achieve great things.
Dido
By: O.MZ.
Dido is a future super woman. She is a ray of sunshine, never failing to make everyone around her laugh. She is always willing to help others, sharing her knowledge in Chemistry and Biology which often extends far beyond the syllabus. Her passion for these subjects is infectious. She is a truly talented individual with a bright future ahead of her. Despite the fact that she is quite short, her heart is larger than most. She has a great love for animals, especially dogs. Her ultimate goal is to become a veterinarian, and I have no doubt that she will excel in this field, providing her patients with the utmost care and compassion. I feel incredibly fortunate to have Dido as my friend, and I am continually impressed by her unwavering kindness, intelligence, and dedication to her goals.
O.MZ
By: C.D.
O.M.Z is an amazing friend who inspires everyone around her with her friendly personality and her passion for science and maths. As a German native, she brings a unique perspective to her studies and her mastery of maths is truly inspiring. We really enjoy having her.
Valerie
By: M.S.
Valerie is a future super woman. She an amazing and kind-hearted person. She is very sweet and helpful. I am sure that no matter what she decides to become in the future, she will do so superbly and with brilliance.
Bibliography:
- “International Women’s Day 2023 Campaign Theme: Embrace Equity.” International Women’s Day, International Women’s Day, 2023, www.internationalwomensday.com/. Accessed 8 Mar. 2023.
- “…and an Early Feminist | Jane Austen’s House.” Jane Austen’s House, 6 July 2021, janeaustens.house/feminism/#:~:text=Jane%20Austen’s%20novels%20are%20not,by%20women%20in%20Regency%20society. Accessed 6 Mar. 2023.
- Network, Heartware. 10 Influential Women in History | Heartware Network. 1 Apr. 2022, heartware.org/blog/10-influential-women-in-history/.
- Güney, Ajda, and Mehmet Ertuğ Yavuz. “THE NINETEENTH CENTURY LITERATURE and FEMINIST MOTIVES in JANE AUSTEN’S NOVELS.” New World Sciences Academy Social Sciences, vol. 3, no. 3, p 523–31, dergipark.org.tr/tr/download/article-file/186844#:~:text=Austen.
- “Lise Meitner, 1878-1968 | Biographical Memoirs of Fellows of the Royal Society.” Biographical Memoirs of Fellows of the Royal Society, 2020, royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsbm.1970.0016. Accessed 8 Mar. 2023.
- “DPMA | Lise Meitner.” Deutsches Patent- Und Markenamt, 6 Mar. 2023, www.dpma.de/english/our_office/publications/ingeniouswomen/lisemeitner/index.html. Accessed 8 Mar. 2023.
- Restle, Benjamin. “Did Greta Thunberg Demand Everyone Drive Electric Cars?” Dw.com, Deutsche Welle, 23 June 2022, www.dw.com/en/fact-check-did-greta-thunberg-demand-everyone-drive-electric-cars/a-62237067. Accessed 8 Mar. 2023.
- Tridimas, Beatrice, et al. “Greta Thunberg’s Rise from Youth Activist to Global Climate Leader.” Context.news, Context, 3 Nov. 2021, www.context.news/just-transition/greta-thunbergs-rise-from-teen-activist-to-global-climate-leader. Accessed 8 Mar. 2023.