By Morgan Paul
When thinking of empowering women, Natalie Portman was certainly not the first to come to my mind. So when I saw a quote by here saying “I’d rather be smart than a movie star,” I was a little surprised. This inspired me to do a little research and I was more than surprised to find out that she went to Harvard. I never would have expected a movie star to take education so seriously.
Portman was born in Israel, went to a Jewish school and spoke Hebrew. She was so concerned with her education that she missed the premiere of Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, so she could study for her high school final exams. After attending Harvard she took graduate classes at Hebrew University of Jerusalem. She also participates in many woman-empowerment organizations; for example in 2004 and 2005, she traveled to Uganda, Guatemala, and Ecuador as the Ambassador of Hope for FINCA International. FINICA is an organization that promotes micro-lending to finance women-owned businesses. Then in January 2011, she was ambassador of Free the Children, an international charity and educational partner, spearheading their “Power of a Girl” campaign. She also held a contest for girls in North America as a fundraiser for Free the Children’s all-girls schools in Kenya. And this is all in addition to being a movie star and mother!
So if you’re ever looking for a little motivation, remind yourself of all the great things that women have accomplished.