Tererai Trent Triumphs Against Seemingly Impossible Odds
When Tererai Trent graduated from Western Michigan University with a doctorate in late 2009, she fulfilled a dream that more than a decade ago was a jotting on a scrap of paper buried in a field where she herded cattle in Zimbabwe.
Trent’s mother had instructed her daughter to literally bury her life goals, not in an effort to forget them, but to make a “‘sacred agreement,’ a personal ritual for me to honor, which I should not take lightly,” said Trent.
Trent’s extraordinary life experience — having to teach herself to read as a child, being married off at about age 11 to a man who wound up beating her and achieving the seemingly impossible considering her circumstances — is described in the book, “Half the Sky,” written by Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn. It features the harrowing stories of several women in developing countries.
Trent’s story was brought to a national audience in an August New York Times Magazine essay written by Kristof and WuDunn in an adaptation of their book. She also appeared on “The Oprah Winfrey Show” in October 2009 (see the video here).
“Any time anyone tells you that a dream is impossible, any time you’re discouraged by impossible challenges, just mutter this mantra: Tererai Trent,” Kristof wrote in a Times opinion piece in November 2009.
Michaëlle Jean was born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, in 1957. She immigrated to
Canada with her family in 1968, fleeing the dictatorial regime of the
time.
After earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in Italian and Hispanic
languages and literature at the University of Montréal, she pursued her
master's studies in comparative literature and taught at the
university's Faculty of Italian Studies.
Three scholarships allowed her
to pursue her studies at the University of Perugia, the University of
Florence, and the Catholic University of Milan. She is fluent in five
languages: French, English, Italian, Spanish and Creole.
During her studies, Ms. Jean worked for eight years with Quebec
shelters for battered women, while actively contributing to the
establishment of a network of emergency shelters throughout Quebec and
elsewhere in Canada.
She later ventured into journalism and became a
highly regarded journalist, and anchor of information programs at
Radio-Canada and CBC Newsworld.
She became Governor General of Canada in September 2005.
Dr. Faiha Albdulhadi is a writer, poet, research consultant, feminist, community and human rights activist and lecturer.
She was born in Nablus in 1951, and was arrested in 1969 at the age of 15, together with her mother, Issam Abdul Hadi, who, at the time, was the President of the General Union of Palestinian Women. She was then deported from Palestine, and lived in exile for 27 years.
Dr. Abdulhadi earned a BA in Arabic Literature from Jordan University, Amman; a BA in Theater Criticism from the Institute of Advanced Theatrical Art, Cairo; and an MA and PhD in Arabic Literature, Cairo University.
She is a member of the Palestinian National Council and was the special coordinator in Palestine for the 1000 Women For Nobel Peace Prize 2005, a project that was part of an initiative to rewrite the history of nations from a woman's point of view.
Dr. Abdulhadi is the author of numerous books, articles and poems, and an active member of the GUPW.
Jacqui Frazier-Lyde is an American lawyer and mother of three.
But her claims to fame are: 1) her decision in the year 2000, at the age of 38, to become a professional boxer, and 2) her determination to then go on to become a champion.
Though astounding due to her age, these feats are perhaps not as surprising viewed in the context of her lineage and abilities.
One of former world heavyweight boxing champion Joe Frazier’s 11 children, Frazier-Lyde excelled academically and athletically from an early age. She was class president at Plymouth-Whitemarsh High in Philadelphia, where she competed in basketball, hockey, softball and lacrosse.
She won an athletic scholarship to American University, and began her studies as a chemistry major. She switched into law at Villanova University, from which she graduated in 1988. After working as a public defender and in property law, she went on to open her own criminal law practice.
On December 25th each year, Christians around the world mark the birth of Jesus, son of Mary, arguably the most famous mother of all time.
A Jewish woman of Nazareth, Mary (Mariam in Arabic; Miryam in Hebrew), is celebrated and revered by all three of the world’s major religions: Christianity, Judaism and Islam.
According to the Bible’s New Testament, the angel Gabriel announced to Mary that she was to be the mother of the promised Messiah by conceiving him through the Holy Spirit.
She delivered her son in the most humble circumstances: in a stable in the town of Bethlehem to which she and her husband Joseph had traveled to be counted in a census.
Relatively little is mentioned of her elsewhere in the Bible – no doubt she loved her son deeply, and must have suffered terribly when he was tortured and killed, just as any mother would grieve the loss of a beloved child.
Interestingly, Mary, mother of Jesus, is mentioned more in the Qur'an than in the entire New Testament. She enjoys a singularly distinguished and honoured position amongst women in Islam, and is the only woman to have a Qur’anic chapter (Maryam), named for her. According to Wikipedia, she is the only woman directly named in the Qur'an, and declared (uniquely along with Jesus) to be a Sign of God to mankind.
Were it not for Mary, a humble Jewish girl who lived in Galilee two thousand years ago, there would be no prophet Jesus of which to speak, and no Christmas Day to celebrate.
You Don’t Need Wings To Fly, And You Don’t Need Arms To Be Amazing
Susan notes: Jessica Cox was born without arms. She hasn't let that stop her from becoming an amazing woman, a recreational pilot and a motivational speaker. See her speak to Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association in Tampa, Florida, in a video and by clicking to continue. There'se also a link to her website at the end of this article.
Jessica Cox, 25, a girl born without arms, stands inside an aircraft. The girl from Tucson, Arizona got a Sport Pilot certificate and became the first pilot licensed to fly using only her feet.
Danica
Sue Patrick is an American auto racing driver, currently competing in
the IndyCar Series, as well as a model and advertising spokeswoman.
She was raised in Roscoe, Illinois. Patrick was named the Rookie of the
Year for both the 2005 Indianapolis 500 and the 2005 IndyCar Series
season.
In May 2006, she published her autobiography, Danica: Crossing the
Line. With her win in the 2008 Indy Japan 300, Patrick became the first
woman to win an Indy car race.
Patrick currently drives the #7 Boost Mobile/GoDaddy.com
Honda/Dallara for Andretti Autosport. She also has an equity stake in
her #7 team. She placed 3rd in the 2009 Indianapolis 500, which was
both a personal best for her at the track and the highest finish by a
woman in the event's history.
When Tererai Trent graduated from Western Michigan University with a doctorate in late 2009, she fulfilled a dream that more than a decade ago was a jotting on a scrap of paper buried in a field where she herded cattle in Zimbabwe.
Michaëlle Jean was born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, in 1957. She immigrated to
Canada with her family in 1968, fleeing the dictatorial regime of the
time.
Dr. Faiha Albdulhadi is a writer, poet, research consultant, feminist, community and human rights activist and lecturer.
Jacqui Frazier-Lyde is an American lawyer and mother of three.
On December 25th each year, Christians around the world mark the birth of Jesus, son of Mary, arguably the most famous mother of all time.
Danica
Sue Patrick is an American auto racing driver, currently competing in
the IndyCar Series, as well as a model and advertising spokeswoman.
