Florence Nightingale 

  May 12, 1820 – August 13, 1910

Florence Nightingale was a statistician, social reformer, and a nurse. She is known to be the founder of modern nursing because of her ‘innovative approach to the field’. During her time as a nurse, she collected data with more than 200 reports revealing how to manage hospital conditions and patient hygiene. These reports revealed that a patient is more likely to recover under these conditions. 

“How very little can be done under the spirit of fear.”

Junko Tabei

September 22, 1939 – October 20, 2016

Not only was she a Japanese mountaineer, teacher, and author, but she was also the first woman to reach the peak of the highest mountain in the world. Junko climbed Mount Everst leaving her three-year-old and husband at home for twelve days to tackle the climb. During the climb she was knocked unconscious while in her tent yet continued on. She was the first woman and 36th person in the world to have reached the peak of the mountain. 

“Technique and ability alone do not get you to the top; it is the willpower that is the most important. This willpower you cannot buy with money or be given by others… it rises from your heart.”

Maya Angelou

April 4, 1928 – May 28, 2014 

Maya Angelou was most known for her poems and the way her words influenced the world. Besides being a poet, she was also a screenwriter, actress, author, dancer, and civil rights activist. She made literary history when she wrote her memoir I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings which talks about her life chronicles from the age three to 16. During this time she endured some of the worst pain and trauma yet came out stronger. Her memoir was nominated for two NAACP Image awards in 2005 and 2009. Her story lives on because her novel is taught in most high school classes. 

“All great achievements require time.”

Sojourner Truth

November 18, 1797 – November 26, 1883

Sojourner Truth was an African American abolitionist and evangelist as well as a women and civil rights activist. She was born into slavery before making her escape along with  her daughter in 1827 in New York. After her successful escapes, she went on to preach about abolitionism and equal rights for everyone. She is considered to be one of the world’s best known human/equal rights activists. 

“Truth is powerful and it prevails.”