In honor of Women’s History Month, The Union asked students who the most influential women in their lives are and how they inspire them in their everyday lives.

Romeial Hilaire, 33, machine tool technology major

“My mom, Angel Magee,” Hilaire said. “She came from nothing and she just made, like, a whole empire. She gave birth to me, she gave me all the tools that were needed to succeed, to like overachieve than everyone else. She was like the rose that grew with no watering.”

Anilu Platas, 19, undecided

“[Amber Liu] is a singer, like K-Pop singer,” Platas said. “She has short hair, but like many people judge her because of that and, like, in her Youtube channel she would talk about all the hate comments she gets. She would make fun of them in order to show people that they shouldn’t be afraid of what people say about them; that shows me she could live through that and it shows that she’s really strong about that.”

Byron Cruz, 23, engineering technology major

“It’d have to be my mom because she’s an immigrant,” Cruz said. “Seeing all her struggles and stuff, watching her bring us up in conjunction with our dad, providing for us, just seeing all those struggles and seeing that they want to see our dreams come to fruition, keeps me going forward and not to let them down or disappoint their efforts in coming here to America from Central America. I want to make sure that my mom’s efforts and sacrifices count.”

Christina Wells, 29, nursing major

“I would have to say, my mom and my aunt mainly because it’s just us,” Wells said.”Our family is small, a lot of our family lives far, so it’s just my mom and my aunt who pretty much help me, guide me, and motivate me.”

Bruce Baldwin, a computer technician for the Information Technology Services

“Right now, probably my wife because I’m married to her,” Baldwin said. “She’s the mother of my child, and, so, that’s a pretty good influence right there.”

Brenden Barley, 21, theater major

“That would probably be my mom, just cause she’s one of the strongest people I know,” Barley said. “No matter what happens she’s a good person, and one of the best people I know.”

Yishem Fan, 23, nursing major

“I think it’s my mom, because she’s strong, and she’s smart,” Fan said. “She took care of me, and I learned a lot from her, like, she taught me how to fight for what I want.”

Linda Olsen, administrative assistant for the athletic’s department

“It was my grandmother,” Olsen said. “She learned things the old fashion way, she had hard knocks, she trained me, you could say, nowadays it’s street smarts, what kids have. Well, that’s what my grandmother had and she was rough but yet she had a heart of gold, and she was like my foundation for everything. She always had an answer, and her answers were always the right way to go as I found out.”

Katie Shelton, 18, music major

“Probably Joan Jet because, she was a pioneer in punk-rock and really kinda pushed that movement for women-playing rock and roll, and music in general, especially guitar,” Shelton said.