March 8^th for me is a day to remember the strong women in my life, more specifically, my mother and my grandmother. After spending the second International Women’s Day far away from my mother, I have allowed myself to see other strong women. Only to realize that my life is full of them—in every possible way. From my days, at boarding school to my semester and half of college, I have seen ambition and strength in every single of these women’s eyes.

College is described as the time of your life—you know? That time when you finally find your circle of friends with common interests. Although I have learned during these past months that it is dynamic. Friend groups change, people leave.

Before the dynamic that I have with the friends that I made this semester changes they must know that they are strong women. Women of change through their diverse backgrounds from Mexico, Zambia, Zimbabwe, South African, Vietnam, South Korea, Ghana, the Caribbean and the United States. This group of strong, independent, liberated, got-their-shit-almost-figured-out (because who really had their shit figured out?), ambitious, beautiful young ladies. At times we don’t all agree on the same things but in them, I feel myself grow. In them, I see myself grow.

Although we are from across the world we never the less have common points that unite us. Common points that allow us to settle on what we think is respectable or not. Because believe it or not, from the four corners of the world morals and ethics do overlap. It then becomes clear that there is really just one race, which is the human race.

It’s not to say that I do learn from them the most when we are disagreeing. When my ideas are being challenged or when I have to justify or clarify myself. That’s when I learn and have to question my position. That when sometimes, I simply have to accept that I am wrong.

The young ladies I am describing, recognize themselves. I may be thinking about specific people but this applies to all the young ladies out there. The ones I have met are in the process of becoming diamonds. As the pressure of carbon increases, they become more and more precious. On March 8^th, I was surrounded by future leaders in medicine, politics, art, research, and entertainment. Although I would have never been able to identify these young ladies without the example that my mother showed me.