Introducing The Next Generation Of Leaders And Thinkers

Rowan Blanchard Is An Amazing Influence For This Generation

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Many people may know Rowan Blanchard from the Disney Channel show, Girl Meets World, but if you follow Rowan on social media you begin to know a whole other side to who she is. I started following Rowan on social media, Twitter and Instagram, about a year ago; and she has truly inspired me in so many ways.

Rowan is an advocate for Feminism, LGBT Rights, Black people’s rights, Mental Health awareness, and just equality for all people. Rowan is not afraid to voice her opinion, which I think is a really incredible and brave thing to do. Rowan is using her platform that she has to make a positive difference, and get the people of today’s society and generation to really think about what we need to do to make our society a more accepting place.

Rowan is completely out in the open about her views, and I think Rowan is really helping today’s generation by spreading equality in a positive light. Rowan has educated so many people about equality whether it be from her tweets or her talk at the UN Women’s conference, I feel like I’m becoming a better person from really paying attention to the issues and figuring out what I believe in.

Rowan recently told her followers on Twitter that last year she was struggling with depression. If you know me personally, this year I was diagnosed with depression; and I think it was really helpful for me to see someone, who I admire, coming out about it and not being ashamed of something that we can not control. I think it was also really incredible for her to try and educate today’s generation about mental illness, and how it does affect a lot of people every year.

2015 is the most memorable year of my life. It was the first year that I learned how powerful it is to be by yourself- not necessarily in a relationship sense- but to be by myself & be content. I became more forgiving with my own actions. I feel more connected to myself as a person knowing that I will never have it all figured out- and that’s for the better. I developed a camaraderie of versions of myself that I can trust to take care of me when I feel thrown off, which is often. I think I learned (and am still re-learning) that in order to actually spend the rest of your life with yourself contently, you must truthfully fall in love with yourself. I became more unapologetic- I am realizing that we are young and things that may seem like the end of the world now, while still very important, will not be the end of the world in the long run. We can live through them. As I found myself, this year in particular, going through ups and downs with depression, I realized that instead of rejecting and ostracizing these teenage feelings (human feelings), I can learn to love the intensity of them and know that everything is momentary. When I think about this year, I would usually associate it with one specific emotion/adjective (happy, sad, amazing, et cetera), but I can’t- there’s too many. I learned this year that happiness and sadness are not mutually exclusive. They can exist within me at the same time in the same moment. While also becoming more forgiving of myself and my emotions, I became more forgiving of others, specifically other teenagers. I realized that it is really weird to grow up right now, and that maybe I shouldn’t expect other teenagers to have it all figured out if I can’t. I learned how much political events/societal complexes directly affect our lives, and how that can make your life a lot easier or a lot harder. I realized that you don’t always have to think of things you love on a business scale- if you love something, find a way to do it- life is much too short. Now I have to go back to cleaning my room, because my mom thinks I am doing that right now, so maybe my resolution is to clean my room when my mom tells me to. Happy New Year, I love you.

A video posted by Rowan Blanchard (@rowanblanchard) on

I think being a teenager can be super fun but also extremely confusing at times; this is the time where people start to figure out what they believe in, who they are, and who their friends are. It can all be very overwhelming at times; but I think the fact that one of the people my generation looks up to, supports wonderful things for equality, and shares her opinion is a positive light is a really cool thing. I think to have a role model like Rowan Blanchard is a truly priceless thing. Of course I think that if I met Rowan we would be instant best friends, drink iced coffee and listen to Beyonce, then go to an art museum, that’s not the point.  I am truly grateful for all she is doing in spreading equality. I am just grateful for Rowan being Rowan, and sharing it with the rest of the world. I think we all owe Rowan Blanchard a round of Applause. Thank you Rowan!!

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