When I think of women who inspire me, Jennifer Lawrence instantly comes to mind. She’s been on my radar since her appearance in the indie flick Winter’s Bone, but she has mainstream success as Katniss in The Hunger Games movie series. If you haven’t seen either of those movies, you’ve probably seen her rocking blue body paint for the latest X-Men installment.
She notched an Oscar for Best Actress by the age of 23, and if I didn’t like her already, she endearingly tripped and fell in style as she approached the stage to accept the award. But you don’t need a golden statue on your mantle to let the world know you mean business. Here’s five ladies under 25 in Nevada and beyond who will inspire you.
Kelsey Blotter. Courtesy of Kelsey Blotter
Kelsey Blotter, 18, Minden, Nevada
Discussion in U.S. history class about national debt and credit cards inspired Kelsey’s capstone project for her 12-year Girl Scout career. She noticed how poverty affected families in her community and produced three multimedia lessons about financial lingo, budgeting and credit cards to foster financial responsibility at a younger age.
“It’s meant not to teach the actual topics but to interest students into researching more,” Kelsey said. “You really have to take hold of your future and put the research and time into it.”
“You really have to take hold of your future and put the research and time into it.”
Her dedication was rewarded with the Gold Award, the highest honor a Girl Scout can receive. Teachers at Carson Valley Middle School have piloted Kelsey’s lessons, and she’s working with other schools to implement the curriculum.
If you want to hear more from Kelsey, she’ll be speaking at Girl Empire at Whitney Peak Hotel in downtown Reno on Aug. 9.
Ivon Padilla-Rodriguez. Photo by Theresa Danna-Douglas
Ivon Padilla-Rodriguez, 20, Reno
Faced with homelessness during her junior year of high school, Ivon found comfort in theater.
“Acting let me take control of something, even if it was just a role,” Ivon told Glamour Magazine for its Top 10 College Women of 2014 feature.
Ivon ultimately graduated as valedictorian from Canyon Springs High School in North Las Vegas in 2011. She co-founded Spotlight Academy for Young Actors, a program housed within Good Luck Macbeth Theater Company in Midtown Reno.
Double majoring in history and philosophy at the University of Nevada, Reno, Ivon aspires to be a Supreme Court Justice to be a voice for minority and low-income communities. Read more about Ivon here.
Tavi Gevinson. Source: www.instagram.com/tavitulle
Tavi Gevinson, 17, Chicago
Tavi, a self-proclaimed Style Rookie, shifted from fashion to journalism by launching Rookie in 2011. The online magazine for teen girls runs on content submitted by people all over the world and has garnered serious star power with guest posts by celebrities such as Seth Rogen.
“I feel like feminism is the kind of thing that can improve people’s lives and, with Rookie, we help girls feel better about themselves and find a sense of community,” Tavi said in an April interview with The New York Times.
Jessica Mah. Source: www.jessicamah.com
Jessica Mah, 24, San Francisco
With a $500 investment, Jessica launched an internship job board at age 13 and started college at 15. Experiencing the difficulty of managing her startup’s finances, she co-founded inDinero in 2009 to help entrepreneurs balance their businesses’ books.
“We didn’t just want to build accounting software … we wanted to completely change the way that business owners think about their operations, and taking care of all of their back-office affairs is our way of doing that,” Jessica wrote on inDinero’s website.
Madison Kimrey. Source: google.com/+MadisonKimrey
Madison Kimrey, 12, North Carolina
Let’s push party politics aside for this preteen politico. Madison champions youth participation in politics and women’s issues on her blog. She recently penned a letter to Phyllis Schlafly after Schlafly wrote a column about the gender wage gap.
Using bra-shopping as a simile for personal choice, Madison wrote:
“This brings us to the idea you have that women shouldn’t have equal pay because it will make it more difficult for them to find husbands. What you’re doing is attempting to limit my choices, and I don’t appreciate that. Let’s get one thing straight here. When I’m thinking about what kind of career I want to have, it’s a lot like shopping for a bra. I want to find something that fits me and appeals to me, and I’m not thinking about pleasing a man. Anyone who wants to be my partner in life is going to have to truly respect me, appreciate me for who I am, and honor the choices I make.”
“Anyone who wants to be my partner in life is going to have to truly respect me, appreciate me for who I am, and honor the choices I make.”
Want more? Email [email protected] if you know an inspiring, enterprising lady under 25. We’ll consider her for another installment of 5 Under 25.
Header image by Sheila Sund
