As one of the only women superheroes in a world where men dominate the comic book pages, Wonder Woman has been a fictional hero that young girls and women across the world could look up to. The past few decades have seen a lot of male superheroes making their big screen debut, and this Summer it was Wonder Woman’s turn. Warner Bros. Pictures and DC Comics brought her character to life as the amazon princess made her big screen debut.

While we’re happy to see a female superhero get the spotlight – you know we don’t believe that superheroes and role models only exist in comic books. So we’ve created a list of six real-life women who we think demonstrate proof that ordinary people can make an extraordinary difference.

Joan of Arc – A real life wonder woman, who despite being the opposite of a pacifist as Wonder Woman was, led a French revolt to victory at Orleans. Bringing freedom to her people. This patron saint of France proves that any person, no matter their size, age, or gender, can inspire a nation and do extraordinary things.

Amelia Earhart – This aviation pioneer, author, teacher, and suffragette is a leader who proved that in a man’s world, women can do anything. At a time when men were still in charge, and women were seen as largely submissive homemakers, Earhart made her mark in Aviation history by setting several records including the first female aviator to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean. She was also a founding member, and first president, of the Ninety-Nines, an organization dedicated to supporting women in aviation. Her mysterious disappearance only proves that Earhart was willing to take new adventures, despite dangers that lay ahead, in an effort to advance women’s role in flight.

Coco Chanel – It may seem stereotypical to add a fashion designer to the list of extraordinary women, but if ever one deserved to be on this list, it’s Coco Chanel. In the post World War I era Chanel liberated women from the confines of the corset. At the time her ideas were considered revolutionary. She had taken typically male style and redesigned it to fit the needs of modern woman, defining feminine style for the remainder of the 20th century. Chanel is credited as one of the most innovative designers of our time.

Julia Child – Whether it was cooking, eating, or teaching – Child had a profound love for food. She channeled her passion into several TV shows, cookbooks and magazine articles that brought fine French cuisine to dinner tables across America. Women of the day particularly enjoyed her programs because the challenges they faced were largely ignored on television. Child not only taught them the art of cooking culinary delights, but did so in a way that felt relatable.

Malala Yousafzi – Our list would not complete without this amazing and inspiring modern-day activist. The Taliban had been banning women from going to school on and off again for years. In 2008, Yousafzi began speaking out about the ban and fighting for women’s right to an education. By 2012, she had become so influential that death threats were pouring in – leading to the infamous Taliban assassination attempt on her life on October 9, 2012. Needless to say, she not only survived, but continues to fight for women’s education and stands tall today as the youngest-ever Nobel Prize laureate.

Sylvia Acevedo – If you don’t know this name by now, you will soon. Acevedo is a rocket scientist who recently took over the helm of leading our nation’s future female leaders at Girl Scouts of the USA. Acevedo began her career working as a rocket scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and was involved in Voyager 2’s flyby of Jupiter in 1989. Since then she’s held engineering roles at some of the world’s largest companies including Apple and Dell. Acevedo fights hard in every role she takes to champion education for poor and minority children. As a businesswoman, rocket scientist, philanthropist and now CEO, Acevedo proves to young girls everywhere that women can have, and do, it all!

From revolutionary leader, aviation pioneer, fashion designer, culinary enthusiast, activist, rocket scientist, to just about anything you can dream of – these women’s real-life stories are proof that ordinary people can do extraordinarily super things. We’ll be shining a spotlight on each of these women all week on our social media page. We encourage you to “like” and “share” their stories to show your friends that real-life superheroes do exist.

However, not all battles are fought publicly, and not every hero gets the spotlight. The kids at our schools are constantly fighting their own battles in an effort to become the future leaders, designers, chefs, and overall superheroes in their community. You too can do extraordinary things by supporting their efforts and making a donation today.

Boldly Yours,
Cristen

Images: Joan of Arc, Emilia Earhart, Coco Chanel, Julia Child