Page 24 - Leadership Secrets of Hillary Clinton

OVERCOMING AND THRIVING ON ADVERSITY

History, she shared a story about how she was always fasci-
nated with exploration and space travel. In fact, at one
point, she wrote to NASA and asked how she could
become an astronaut. She received a letter back informing
her that the agency did not accept girls in the program.
She wrote, “It was the first time I had hit an obstacle I
couldn’t overcome with hard work and determination, and
I was outraged. Of course, my poor eyesight and mediocre
physical abilities would have disqualified me anyway,
regardless of gender. Still, the blanket rejection hurt and
made me more sympathetic later to anyone confronted
with discrimination of any kind.” As a result of this expe-
rience, she has been committed to confronting all forms
of discrimination and has been a strong supporter of
women’s rights throughout her career. In fact, she made it
clear during her confirmation hearing for secretary of state
that women’s rights would be a cornerstone of her
approach to foreign policy:

Of particular concern to me is the plight of women
and girls, who comprise the majority of the world’s
unhealthy, unschooled, unfed, and unpaid. If half of
the world’s population remains vulnerable to eco-
nomic, political, legal, and social marginalization, our
hope of advancing democracy and prosperity will
remain in serious jeopardy. We still have a long way to
go and the United States must remain an unambigu-

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