Samina Baig is the first Pakistani mountaineer that scaled Mount Everest, completing the Seven Summits at the age of 21. She is someone senior Wafa Naqvi looks up to and an inspiration for many other Pakistani girls. In Baig, Naqvi saw courage and ambition.

“A lot of girls in Pakistan want to get married and do the traditional things. But a lot of them don’t and they want to at least have some independence to do what they want to do. Samina Baig just went and did it, and she is still doing it,” Naqvi said.

March is Women’s History Month. It’s a time to raise awareness of the ongoing struggle of women’s rights and gender equality as well as a month-long observation that celebrates and recognizes the ways women have shaped society, culture, politics, science and other fields through their accomplishments in history.

Activities such as mountaineering and trekking are dangerous, intense and unpredictable. Yet, Baig has been climbing ever since four and breaking the boundaries set for her since then.

Sometimes inspiration doesn’t have to always be world changer public figures, and numerous individuals are always influenced by accomplished women in their everyday lives. Another significant woman in Naqvi’s life is her mother.

“My mom’s dad passed away when she was 16 years old. My mom just remained to be one of the happiest and bubbliest people that I’ve ever known. She’s always done [difficult things] with a smile on her face. I don’t think she’s ever backed down from anything. She feels struggle, but she goes through it so elegantly,” Naqvi said.

Naqvi was a young girl who used to shy away from new challenges. However, Naqvi’s mom’s attitude of pushing beyond her limits and going further every time has taught Naqvi to stay brave and never say no to opportunities just because of the scale of it.

It’s important to balance celebrating women’s accomplishments and recognizing their struggles when celebrating Women’s History Month.

“When talking about women’s history, it’s important to acknowledge that they succeeded but specifically that they succeeded in the face of adversity… It’s something you have to intentionally think about when you teach women’s history,” senior Declan Monahan said.

From Ida B. Wells’ advocacy to end lynching to Queen Liliuokalani’s motto of Onipaʻa (steadfast), English teacher Akie Kutsunai explained what made these public women figures inspirational wasn’t simply their want to establish equality, but it was how they recognize “patience” as the ultimate weapon to break down the oppressions.

“[These women figures knew] things are going to take time and they need to approach things differently. It’s sort of the idea of being persistent, not giving up and having patience to work things through,” Kutsunai said.

Some female leaders and pioneers like Wells and Liliuokalani fulfilled the stereotypical gender roles through marriage, but meanwhile, they also took on extra responsibilities and impacted the society. While celebrating women’s success, remember these figures only as women.

“For myself, [Women’s History Month] is a reminder that there are aspects of people where being a woman is important to their identity, but that has nothing to do with them being persistent, trying to work on solidarity and continuing to learn. So that’s been really helpful as I’ve been navigating my own understanding of my identity as I’ve gotten older,” Kutsunai said.

Whether that is community parades or supporting local women small businesses, there are many forms of celebrating Women History Month. With a week left of Women History Month, take a moment to thank the women in your lives and remember the ones that came before.