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Sparkles in space

Nicole Fallert   Paste BN

If you're in the habit of doomscrolling these days, try this: Click on Paste BN's Women of the Year series.

You'll meet women who stood by their community when Hurricane Helene hit North Carolina and those who ensure fair housing for all Americans. One of them is an Olympian. Another flies to space to set an example for her daughter.

As part of its annual Women of the Year project, this year's group of 61 women across the country are inspiring the next generation. They are breaking barriers and pushing for change. They are making our communities better.

👋 Nicole Fallert here and welcome to Your Week, our newsletter exclusively for Paste BN subscribers (that's you!). It's Women's History Month, and we're introducing Paste BN's annual Women of the Year honorees and what you can learn from their stories.

Here are a few more headlines I've read this week from Paste BN:

Inspiring Women Across America

Paste BN's annual project is aptly named "Women of the Year" to emphasize the plurality of women who contribute to American communities. The title intends to show that when many women work at change, it makes a bigger difference, said Laura Trujillo, Paste BN's managing editor of life and entertainment.

"Their stories show that while what one person is doing may not change the world, one person's actions can change someone's life," Trujillo said. "It's contagious."

She recommends bookmarking the series for days you may feel like you can't make a difference. Return to the project, find yourself in these women's stories and use them as inspiration to change one thing in your life, she said.

The 61 women honored work in all 50 states, plus Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia. The newsroom leveraged the reach of Paste BN's more than 200 network newsrooms to ask local journalists who are the women making extraordinary differences in their communities.

"Paste BN's Network provides a unique value, with infinite reach," said Paige Windsor, who helped select honorees working at the local level. "This is our way to tell readers we're everywhere you need us to be."

One local group of women that stood out for Windsor was comprised of Jen Hampton, Katie McMullen and Corinne Duncan. After Tropical Storm Helene flooded Western North Carolina, these three Asheville women got to work saving their community. Including multiple women from the same community symbolizes the connections and teamwork necessary to support progress, she said.

"The aim is you read the story and say, 'This is what matters,'" Windsor said.

National honorees aim high

The women working on the national level were picked because their stories demonstrated how women don't just have to be one thing. They can be girly and strong, like Olympic rugby player Ilona Maher. They can be television stars and mothers, like Hoda Kotb. They can be smart and wear sparkles, like astronaut Kellie Gerardi. Some of them you'll recognize. Others, like Fannie Mae CEO and President Priscilla Almodovar, may not be as familiar, but her work expanding access to housing for Americans certainly hits home.

"The series shows that women running the show don't have to just be monolithic to be powerful," Trujillo said. Her totem: You don't have to lose your sparkle to be smart.

For example, Gerardi brought her Taylor Swift Eras Tour friendship bracelets to space with her. Gerardi is only the 90th American woman to ever go to space, and she holds that accolade in tandem with the girliness she shares with her 7-year-old daughter. Capturing pictures of complex, dynamic women like this serves a greater purpose, Trujillo said.

From photos to video to our glamourous Women of the Year event, Paste BN is going all-in for its celebrants this year. Explore the digital homepage, which features short descriptions of each honoree. Read who speaks to you and click on their name to learn more and watch video interviews with the honorees. Perhaps their stories leave you feeling motivated. Good news: Each section includes resources to contact their respective organizations so you can get involved, too.

The winners go beyond the nation's current political division, both Windsor and Trujillo said. The winners are so hyper-niche in their work, it shows how change occurs most effectively from one person to the next. Consider that a balm for your doomscrolling!

Their stories also show that the way to show up often presents itself in unexpected ways, Windsor said.

"These women didn't plan these roles. Circumstances happened that inspired them to take action."

Explore Paste BN's Women of the Year 2025 series

Thank you

I will be going to the women in my own life and thanking them for the incredible work they do for our community. Thank you for supporting our journalism with your subscription. Our work wouldn't be possible without you. 

Best wishes, 

Nicole Fallert

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