1. Taylor Swift
She's an obvious choice as a role model, and I'm definitely not the only girl that looks up to her. I've had a love for Taylor Swift since her album Speak Now came out back in 2010. Back then, I didn't know much about HER, I just loved her music. I liked the way it all sounded mostly, as I didn't really understand the lyrics because I was only 13. But once I grew up a bit more I learned more about Taylor and more of her songs started to strike a chord with me. It wasn't until Taylor started promoting her album 1989 that I knew I respected and loved her so much as a person.
Taylor advocates for loving yourself. The hidden message found in her album 1989 for the song Clean reads: "She lost him but she found herself and somehow that was everything." When I first read that line, it hit me. I love the way Taylor values loving and finding yourself before loving anyone else.
I also love how wholesome she is. In an industry that is full of women feeling the need to sell sex in order to sell their albums, Taylor stays true to her modest self. She can do whatever she wants, but the fact that she can sell more albums than any other artist in one year without having to pose with no clothes on says a lot.
Taylor is so nice to her fans as well. She connects with us through Tumblr and makes us feel like we are her friend. She sends people gifts in the mail and that's something no other celebrity does. Taking the time out of her busy schedule to send someone a letter is rare for a celebrity, but so powerful and thoughtful.
Taylor makes waves in this world with her poise, intelligence, and talent. That is why she is an iconic role model to so many girls.
2. Zoe Sugg (Zoella)
Zoe might be a random choice for a role model but she is most definitely someone I look up to. I love her for so many reasons, but most of all she makes me feel safe and happy.
I've been watching Zoe's YouTube videos since 2012. I remember coming across one of her haul videos and being drawn in by her beauty, fun personality, and awesome accent. I started watching all of her videos from the beginning and I became so in love with her persona. I've been a loyal follower ever since. Back in 2012, Zoe wasn't the happiest person she could be. She was going through a lot with her mental illness and other personal matters. But now, she is always so peppy and looks genuinely happy in all of her videos, and that makes me happy.
One of the things that Zoe has taught me is to smile and laugh as much as possible. In videos, Zoe is always shown smiling and laughing even at the littlest things. She once said that whenever she's happy, she shows it through laughter. That's something I always do too. I laugh at a lot of things (just ask my friends) because why not? I think so many things are funny and a lot of things make me smile. That's good! I don't really know if the point of this paragraph has been made but I hope you understand. ;)
Similar to Taylor, Zoe is very wholesome. She is modest and sweet and kind and lovely. I strive to be like her. She's so kind toward other people, and I always have her mannerisms in the back of my mind when I'm going through life because it helps me make the right choices.
Even though Zoe is just a normal 25 year old from a small village in England, to me she is an exceptional role model that I will always look up to. As for making me feel safe, Zoe makes me feel like I can do things. One of her quotes of life is "just say yes." She's gone through a lot in her life but she's ended up in such a great place, She's done so by saying yes to more things and being open to the world. Whenever I think about something as daunting as going to college or growing up, I think about Zoe and the happiness she gives me and I think, even if my life is as crazy as it can get, I know she will be one click away.
