youtubenation:

By: Carly Lanning

When we originally began throwing around the idea of #WCW — or if hashtags confuse you as they do me, Women Crush Wednesday — there was no debate that Emily Graslie should be our premiere honoree.

Smart, charming and genuine, Graslie has not only taken it upon herself to make audiences excited about YouTube, but also become an inspiration for many women interested in exploring the male-dominated STEM — Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics — field.

In 2012, Graslie appeared in a VlogBrother’s video and soon after, was asked by Hank Green to host “The Brain Scoop.” Her show was originally based out of the University of Montana Zoological Museum, a place Graslie had been volunteering since in college. In 2013, Graslie moved the “The Brain Scoop” to the Chicago Field Museum where she accepted a job as Chief Curiosity Correspondent. In each episode, Graslie explores the thousands of curiosities the museum has to offer. In the year since her arrival in Chicago, Graslie has skinned a wolf, held a meteorite, tackled the issue of sexism in the STEM community and continued her MA in Museum Studies from Johns Hopkins University.

I think we can all agree, Graslie IS Superwoman but chooses to rock a sweater and oxfords instead of an uncomfortable unitard. Her work in the YouTube community has even caught the attention of Glamour magazine who named her as one of five female entrepreneurs to watch.

But what makes Graslie so special to me— and thousands of her fans— is her confidence in being unapologetically herself. One day you’ll find her knee deep in the thoracic cavity of a wolf and the next, you’ll find her calmly discussing why collecting specimens for science is, in fact, not leading to extinction. Seeing Graslie’s work and candid conversations empower others to accept nothing less than equality and respect in their fields.

So Emily Graslie, should you ever in Los Angeles, I’d very much like to buy your awesome self a drink.

Explore Graslie’s channel here and check out her segment in tonight’s show at 6pm!