From newer television series to the classics, it’s always refreshing to step out of my reality and enter another world for a short moment.

While watching these shows, I never realized the impact some of the characters would have on me. The strong and courageous women I grew up watching on television have truly helped shaped me into the person I am today. Here are five key examples of characters on television shows that are the definition of shero.

 

1. Brooke Davis from One Tree Hill 

Out of all the characters on this list, I believe that Brooke Davis has gone through the biggest personal transformation. In high school alone, she built her own fashion line after a bad break up called “Clothes Over Bros” and started reaching for success.

As she grew older, she had a passion for loving others and being a mom, so she worked to adopt children. Throughout the series, she faced some extreme hardships. At the end of the day, however, Davis learned to put what matters first, and truly fought for her family, her friends, and herself.

 

2. Beth Kingston from Chasing Life

The strength, love, and hope Beth Kingston shows during times of adversity always filled my heart with joy. In the show Chasing Life, Kingston’s best friend April Carver was diagnosed with cancer. Through pain, fear, and tears, Kingston is the perfect example of being a great friend. She reminds us that during hard times, female friendships are everything.

 

3. Blair Waldorf from Gossip Girl

The biggest lesson that Blair Waldorf taught me is that it’s important to define yourself instead of letting someone else define you. For Waldorf, it was often tempting to give up on her dreams and settle for the “easier” route. Even if it meant investing in herself instead of in a relationship, she persisted.

She reminded women everywhere that making an investment in yourself is not selfish. These investments end up helping everyone in the end. Despite several ups and downs, she did not stop until she reached her goals. She created herself, instead of letting her circumstances create her.

 

4. Rachel Berry from Glee

Rachel Berry rose to the top, even when everyone said she couldn’t. When she started off high school, she was severely bullied. People always told her she didn’t have the “right look” or that she wasn’t “good enough.”

By the end of the series, Berry proved to both herself and the world, that she was always more than good enough. She also reminded us all the importance of remembering where we came from. Even after achieving her Broadway dreams, there was nothing more special than her hometown.

 

5. Regina Vasquez from Switched at Birth

From recovering from alcoholism to reminding her daughter to face adversity head on, Regina Vasquez is a reminder that it’s possible to power through difficult circumstances. At a young age Vasquez’s daughter Daphne Vasquez, was diagnosed with a condition that made her lose her hearing. As a mother, it would have been easy to panic. Instead, Vasquez learned to sign, encouraged Daphne to go on to medical school, and managed finances when times were difficult.

 

It was difficult to pick only five shows and five characters, because there are so many amazing sheroes on television. When consuming media, it’s important to focus on these women and the impact they have. I believe that each character teaches a positive lesson that can be extremely valuable.

 

Cover image courtesy of Wikia.

By Sanah Jivani on April 12, 2016
Sanah is a honors college student at the University of Texas at San Antonio who is double majoring in Sociology and Communications. She is the founder of a non-profit organization called The Love Your Natural Self Foundation, which works to help individuals build confidence. Her biggest dream is to make a difference in the world through her organization and her writing.