In case you didn’t know, the month of March is deemed as Women’s History Month, an essential time to reflect on the remarkable achievements of women from all diverse backgrounds who have left a mark on history and beyond.
While Women’s History Month is all about honoring women of the past, it’s important that we also look ahead at the next generation of trailblazing women who are setting their sights on making a great impact within their communities, industries, and even within their own legacies.
This month, The Bold Maven™️ is honoring all women by shining an exclusive spotlight on two diverse and dynamic women representing greatness. Our March women of honor include:
- Zulma Milena Sanchez Zuluaga, a Colombian Digital Marketing Strategist
- Jada Emodogo, a Nigerian-American Senior Undergraduate Physics Student at Jackson State University
While their paths and backgrounds are different, get to know these two women and just how aligned they are in representing all women.
The Journey To Greatness
One of the elements that aligns women of all walks of life is the drive to achieve and overcome. Women can often be the backbone of their families and can serve as pillars within society.
“My journey to where I am today began at the young age of 8, when I witnessed my grandmother’s struggle with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, igniting a deep-seated curiosity about the brain and mental health,” says Jada, who is relentless in her pursuit of knowledge and commitment to the world of mental health and neuroscience. From this early experience, Jada streamlined her focus on becoming a physician-scientist with a specific dedication to unraveling the molecular mechanisms of psychiatric disorders. Jada proves her resilience by pushing past obstacles and turning these struggles into opportunities for growth and change.
For others, the journey to greatness isn’t about witnessing struggles, but more so a reflection of those who traveled the path before us. Much like Jada, Zulma Zuluaga is another woman who can relate to having her family be her motivation to achieve great things.
“The woman who has had the greatest impact on me is my mother, because she is the calmest, happiest, and most optimistic person I know, reveals Zulma. “In these times, finding someone with those qualities is not easy.”
The impact of Zulma’s mother has allowed her to found her own advertising agency, Creativos Marketing y Publicidad LLC, where she works to help people scale their businesses through marketing and advertising.
A Woman’s Impact
As recalled throughout history, women have remained the true cornerstones of society, yet had to fight persistently for basic rights to vote, work, get educated, and many more. With so many discrepancies against women, it begs the question: how does being a woman actually contribute to success and advancement?
For Digital Marketer, Zulma, her experience around women has been largely positive and has laid the foundation for what sisterhood and friendship are to her and how it’s aided in her overall self-confidence and personal development. This has led her to a life of personal and professional fulfillment.
“I had the opportunity to study at an all-girls school, where my experience was extremely positive. Despite the distance, I still maintain friendships that I greatly value. The message of sisterhood was reflected in our group of friends, which strengthened our bonds and provided invaluable support,” says Zulma.
Unlike Zulma, a Physics Student, Jada’s Nigerian descent is what has motivated her to debunk stereotypes against women by pledging her sorority, obtaining leadership roles, and continuing to pave the way for other women in STEM. Through her chance encounter with Dr. Lollie Michelle, Louisiana State University’s first Black woman Department of Physics and Astronomy Ph.D. graduate, was Jada able to truly see in action what was possible in the world of physics, which has ultimately led her to support and guide female students across STEM departments.
“This experience underscores the significance of sisterhood and the value of surrounding yourself with women who occupy the positions you aspire to be in, ” says Jada.
Whether through all-female environments that instill female empowerment, or through unwavering self-belief, these three ladies understand that a woman’s impact is immeasurable.
Lasting Legacies
As we celebrate modern women who are still making their marks on this world, how do we ignite the passion in the generations to come?
Zulma desires to leave a legacy that is full of passion, perseverance, and determination. Zulma believes that with enough confidence and planning, we can all take necessary actions to create great things.
“My goal is to leave a legacy of strength, resilience, and personal fulfillment, showing that with optimism, dedication, and a clear vision of the future, you can overcome any adversity and achieve success in any area of life,” says Zulma. She hopes that her example can be one of many young women can follow to stay inspired, take risks, uplift others and never underestimate their power as a woman and beyond.
“My advice to the next generation of women would be to invest in yourselves, for your growth and self-development are priceless resources that will serve as the foundation of your success,” reveals Jada, who finds that every experience is an opportunity for advancement.
Jada wants all young women to know it’s the hard roads ahead that allow us the opportunity to live life to our fullest potential and find out what we’re truly made of. Taking risks and understanding your self-worth is what gives us the confidence to find our inner patience, drive, and conviction within ourselves to make the biggest impact on the world around us.
“Womanhood is a journey of self-discovery and self-acceptance, and I would encourage my younger self to treasure every moment, because it is only through the highs and lows that we truly find ourselves” highlights Jada.
While these two women take very different perspectives on self-discovery within their distinctive journeys, what remains the same is their overall message of resiliency, self-confidence and female pride. Women are multi-faceted beings that holistically relate on an inexplicable level. Together we fight, we play, we experience, but more importantly, we live on our own terms.
