Simone, Gloria, Jacinda, Taylor & Bey – 12 Days of Mentor Moments That Made Our Year
It’s not partridges and pear trees I think of as we enter December. Never mind the calling birds and geese…the lords and the leaping. The drumbeat I hear as I look back on 2023 has one ringing refrain: mentors. Mentors matter.
Because throughout this year we watched as mentor moments won the gold, made the news, met the next generation and tipped their hats to first sources of inspo. Mentor moments were key in ’23 – here are 12 from our Insta that made our year at Être:
When athletes showed us how to…
Become the most decorated gymnast ever - Simone Biles
Set a record as the fastest woman alive - Sha’Carri Richardson
Defy expectations and share it with her younger self - Coco Gauff
Own her worth in the face of a winning season - Kim Ng
When icons met the moment by telling the next gen…
Stay confident and know exactly who you are - Gloria Steinem
Never give up. You can’t. You can’t give up - JLo
Fill your tank…You can lead. Just like me - Jacinda Ardern
Take a deep breath; you’ve got this – Kate Winslet
When artists gave us mentor moments like…
Reacting to Adele calling her a legend - Miley Cyrus
Sharing her award with girls who look like me - Michelle Yeoh
Welcoming their daughters to their stage – P!nk and Beyoncé
Paying tribute to Beyoncé’s influence on tour - Taylor Swift
And there were more.
For the first time ever, girls in 2023 watched all five Sunday news shows be anchored by women. They learned that six of the eight Ivy league schools would be led by women. They heard that comedian Taylor Tomlinson will be the only female host on late-night TV, and they slept knowing that the US Navy trusts Admiral Lisa Franchetti to keep us safe.
Who will bring us more in ’24?
Who will meet the moment, offer the wisdom, or set the example? There are hints on the horizon, and we will hopefully see them on graduation podiums, at award ceremony microphones, competing in the Olympics or lifting off into space.
For now, as we close out 2023, may we reflect on the moments that made us catch our breath and use that breath as we cheer on the exhale. My hunch is that way more than nine ladies will be dancing to that tune.
Looking forward while glancing back,
Illana
ÊXTRAS: Three more mentor moments we loved in 2023 you won’t want to miss: When Claudia Goldin won the Nobel Prize in Economics, when Greta Gerwig broke box office and store records with Barbie, and when Audra MacDonald made Tony nomination history.
