(High school) graduates of 2015, the time has come to enter into the adult world of college. Get ready for endless nights of studying, adding pizza — a lot of pizza — to your diet and saying goodbye to sleep. Your time is now: Get ready to expand your horizons and gain new experiences. If you need a little help on how to survive the adult world, look to these leading ladies for some don’t-freak-out-everything-is-going-to-be-okay senior quotes.
1. Amy Poehler: She’s one of the best comedic writers out there, and she has written her own book. Not only does she believe that you should never apologize for being yourself, but she also believes girls can achieve anything. She even created an online community for young women called Amy Poehler’s Smart Girls. (via Jason Merritt/Getty)
Her Quote: “Great people do great things before they’re ready. They do things before they know they can do it. ”
2. Sonia Sotomayor: She became the first Latina justice and the third woman to serve in the U.S. Supreme Court. Prior to that, she received her J.D from Yale Law School. She went on to Princeton University and graduated summa cum laude, in addition to winning the M. Taylor Pyne Prize. And those are only some of her accomplishments! (via Chip Sotomayor/Getty)
Her Quote: “Don’t mistake politeness for lack of strength.”
3. Beyoncé: First of all, who doesn’t believe in the power of Beyoncé? She is a fierce individual who also happens to be one of the best-selling artists of all time. Even after the birth of her child, she dropped a killer visual album like it was no big deal. As we say, WWBD? (via Ian Gavan/Getty)
Her Quote: “I embrace mistakes — it makes you who you are.”
4. Ellen Degeneres: Beside the fact that she is seriously funny, she is also an amazing human being. Ellen funds over 35 charities and is constantly giving away money and prizes to well-deserving individuals. Oh, and she’s a great dancer too.
Her Quote “Follow your passion. Stay true to yourself. Never follow someone else’s path unless you’re in the woods and you’re lost and you see a path. By all means, you should follow that.” (via Michael Buckner/Getty)
5. Emma Watson: Sorry, Harry Potter, but Hermione is our favorite wizard. Emma was recently named a United Nations Goodwill Ambassador, a position that allows her to be an even bigger champion for gender equality. (via Chris Jackson/Getty)
Her Quote: “In my nervousness for this speech and my moments of doubt, I’ve told myself firmly, ‘If not me, who? If not now, when?'”
6. Emma Stone: Emma started doing charitable work for breast cancer after her mom got diagnosed a few years back. Between her style and her talent, we want to be best friends with her already. (via Pascal Le Segretain/Getty)
Her Quote: “What sets you apart may seem like a burden, but it’s not, and most of the time it’s what makes you great.”
7. Helen Gurley Brown: She was the editor in chief for Cosmo for 32 years. She never believed that you should use men to get something out of life. She wrote a few books and wanted women to know that being smart about your money is sexy. (via Mario Tama/Getty)
Her Quote: “You know you can’t hope yourself a better life — you must take yourself there.”
8. J.K. Rowling: To start: She wrote a little indie book called Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. NBD. After her success, she donated so much of her money to charity that she lost her billionaire status. This incredible writer has earned a lot of awards for her writing and honorary degrees from not one, but seven universities. (via Danny E. Martindale/Getty)
Her Quote: “It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all.”
9. Malala Yousafzai: Saying that she is a fighter is a HUGE understatement. This girl knows how to stand up for what she believes in. Malala became the youngest Noble Peace Prize winner in history in 2014. She has sparked awareness for children’s education and believes in the importance of peaceful conflict resolution. (via WPA Pool/Getty)
Her Quote: “I am stronger than fear.”
10. Mindy Kaling: She is an actor, author, sitcom creator and producer. But for her to get there, she had to write her own parts. Mindy is a fighter and believes in herself much more than anybody else could. She is a killer example of how much hard work really pays off. (via Cindy Ord/Getty)
Her Quote: “If you don’t see a clear path for what you want, sometimes you have to make it yourself.”
11. Michelle Obama: Before her current position as FLOTUS, Michelle studied at Princeton and Harvard and became the only African American woman to work at her firm. She started the Let’s Move Campaign to focus on childhood obesity and fitness, and she also supports mentoring programs for young women. You go, girl! (via Mark Wilson/Getty)
Her Quote: “Success isn’t about how much money you make, it’s about the difference you make in people’s lives.”
12. Oprah Winfrey: She become the first African American billionaire, created OWN network and a magazine, and she has extra time to act, because she’s good at that too. It’s Oprah’s world, and we’re just living in it. (via Frazer Harrison/Getty)
Her Quote: “Don’t worry about being successful, but work toward being significant, and the success will naturally follow.”
13. Tina Fey: Fey became the first female head writer on SNL, and she won two Emmys for her work on 30 Rock, which she created. This talented lady also won a Golden Globe for her performance on 30 Rock and multiple awards for her writing on SNL. Plus, there is that one movie that she wrote. Does Mean Girls ring a bell? (via Jason Merritt/Getty)
Her Quote: “Confidence is 10% hard work and 90% delusion.”
14. Vera Wang: When you think bridal, you probably think Vera Wang. But did you know that she was the Senior Fashion Editor at Vogue for 15 years AND the Design Director at Ralph Lauren? Yeah, she’s pretty awesome. (via Jamie McCarthy/Getty)
Her Quote: “Success isn’t about the end result, it’s about what you learn along the way.”
What is your senior quote going to be? Tell us in the comments below!
