Educated and Successful Women

Successful women are made, not born. Although, at birth, you (as a woman) has all the abilities to become successful as your male counterparts.
Despite the fact that they outnumber men as university students, the salary gap between men and women with higher education shows no sign of closing. There may be more women in mid-level management, but a woman CEO or prime minister is still newsworthy. -Barbara Black
Don't worry, there are tons of note-worthy women who are successful, and guess what? You can become one too, because we have many, many role models out there. Sure, you won't hear about the lesser known ones as often, but be comforted that they are out there. I wouldn't have time to write down every women who has won every prize, served in every war and has became a self-made millionaire but here are some names to help you get the idea.
Politics
Hilary Clinton, who is best known for running for President. Michelle Obama, the First Lady, who is a graduate from Harvard Law School and Princeton University. There is Shirley Chrisholm, the first Black woman to run for President in the US and is also the first African-American woman in Congress. Don't forget about Senator Barbara Boxer who was elected in 1992, and was the Chair of the Senate Environment Committee for 2007-2008. Go, Barbara, go! She will be up for reelection in the 2009-2010 year.
Working their way up the corporate ladder to rise from personal hardships and tragedies - while fighting gender discrimination, is a common life thread seen among many successful and famous women in business.
Business
Carol Bartz, CEO of Yahoo! had a rough start in life. Carol A. Bartz was born August 29, 1948 in Winona, Minnesota. Her mother died of a devastating chronic disease when she was only eight years old. For the next four years, Bartz cared for her younger brother, Jim. Each day, she would drop him off at a babysitters on her way to elementary school and pick him up on her way home.
Ill-equipped to raise his family alone, Bartz's father was heavy-handed and used a belt for discipline.
She earned a B.A in Computer Science in 1971 from the University of Wisconsin while working as a cocktail waitress.
Bartz joined 3M in 1972 as the only woman professional in a division of 300 men. She faced repeated acts of discrimination and quit in 1976 after being refused a transfer to headquarters. In an interview with More Magazine, Bartz recalls, "They told me to my face, 'Women don't do these jobs.'" She replied, "I'm out of here," and she immediately quit.
Her decision to leave 3M was not an admission of defeat; quite the opposite. Bartz knew she was capable of accomplishing bigger and better things and if 3M was not interested in offering her growth opportunities, she would find them elsewhere.
And, she did.
Lilly Ledbetter was employed by Goodyear Tire and Rubber for nineteen years before she discovered that she was paid far less for the same work as her male peers were being paid. She filed a lawsuit against Goodyear, and after a long legal battle, her case was ultimately decided by the U.S. Supreme Court; she lost. From 1979 to 1998 Lilly worked tirelessly at a Goodyear plant on an overnight shift from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. where she was subjected daily to sexual discrimination and harassment. She received a "Top Performance Award" in 1996, but her raises never matched her performance and were not in line with those given to men.
Ledbetter played an important role speaking to politicians, Congress, and even Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton in an effort to persuade the need for change. John McCain and Sarah Palin both agreed with the U.S. Supreme Court decision (McCain did not support fair pay acts that would legislate equal pay for women). McCain also made negative statements about Ledbetter's cause and even deemed the proposed legislation a "trial lawyer's dream."
Ledbetter, a humble woman, challenged laws that did not protect workers from discrimination even though she herself would never directly benefit from her efforts.
Myra Bradwell, by the age of twenty four, Mrs. Bradwell completed her formal education in women's seminary, and became a teacher. She later began a legal apprenticeship working in her husband’s law office, which he opened with Myra's brother. Although she had the proper certificate of qualification issued by a lower court, the Illinois state bar denied her access to the bar. (Those assholes)!
Now, Myra is the founder of "The Chicago Legal News"
Angela Kim, a successful Asian entrepreneur, is also an accomplished pianist and owns two businesses, Om Aroma & Co; and Savor the Success, a social network for female professionals.
Ann Bartlett is the Founder and Owner of The Body of Balance Center and also has Type 1 Diabetes.
Dershaun Sharpley is the Founder and President of H.I.S Organization launched in August 2004.
Tanea Smith is the founder and owner of She's Got Papers, a line of beautiful stationary.
There are countless others, and I will be posting more successful women and their successes regularly. I'm proud of all of you, and you are all inspirations.