Description

Princess Leia’s lightsaber has sat on my shelf since the summer of 2022. It had been given to me as a graduation gift by someone who is no longer in my life and has not been for a rather long time. However it is still one of the most thoughtful gifts I have been given. Princess Leia was one of the very first Star Wars characters that I truly found myself drawn to and connected to. She was one of the first strong female characters I could relate to.

Princess Leia is an image of female empowerment. She grew from a simple princess, a figure head, to be a leader and general for those around her. One of my favorite quotes from her is, “I am a leader of the Rebellion, not a figurehead.” Leia quotes this in Star Wars: A New Hope, asserting the fact that leadership is not simply about image or title, but about actions and responsibility. General Leia, while she may be a fictional character, is a model of leadership I hope to follow as I age. Princess Leia’s lightsaber sitting on my shelf is a reminder of everything I want to be.