Who’s your “Woman of the Year”?

So I got my December issue of Glamour in the mail and it’s that time of year again for the magazine to recognize the “Women of the Year.” Of course women like Hillary Clinton, Tyra Banks and Condoleezza Rice made the list as well as artist Kara Walker and environmentalist Jane Goodall.

But what women inspired you the most this year?

For me, that woman would have to be Soledad O’Brien.

If you’re not a CNN nerd like me you may not know who she is, but O’Brien is an anchor and special correspondent for CNN’s Special Investigation Unit, where she focuses on in-depth series and documentaries. She’s also part of CNN’s top-notch political team.

This summer O’Brien’s groundbreaking report “Black in America” reignited my passion for journalism and this encouragement couldn’t have come at a better time.

I write for an arts and entertainment magazine and while my job is pretty fun, I often feel locked into writing about inconsequential topics. And in case you hadn’t noticed, the economy sucks and the media is one of the industries being hit hard by this downturn. The company that owns the magazine for which I work has laid off several people and has announced that more lay-offs are coming next month.

It would be easy for me to give up and start seeking employment in a different field. That might even be the smart thing to do. But O’Brien’s reportage reminds me that there are so many stories out there that need to be told. And somehow, someway I’m going to help tell them.