(Sept. 15) marked the beginning of Hispanic Heritage Month. In honor of the occasion, I have compiled a short list of five influential Hispanic people that you should definitely know about. From writing a hit musical to visiting space, these five people have truly made an impact on the way we all live our lives. Enjoy!

César Chávez

Growing up on a farm himself, Chavez understood the daily struggle to survive that many farmworkers faced. He led a five-year long strike by California grape pickers to help farmworkers gain fair labor laws. Attracting national attention, Chavez received consistent support from Robert F. Kennedy and led the nationwide boycott. Fueled by the nonviolent protests of the Civil Rights Movement, Chavez helped found the United Farm Workers union. He received the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his work in 1994, after his death. Overall, Chavez dedicated his life to ‘la causa’ or ‘the cause,’ helping future generations of Hispanics to come.

Frida Kahlo

Born in 1907, Frida Kahlo is considered one of Mexico’s greatest artists. She is most famous for her ‘unusual’ self portraits, where she featured her unibrow and natural facial hairs. Though regarded as strange at the time, Kahlo was renowned for her expression of ‘true femininity’ and broke gender barriers for women. Even after a debilitating accident, she persevered and continued to create art. Her artwork is inspiring and thought-provoking, affecting people across the world. Kahlo broke society’s expectations, using her disabilities as strengths to better her expression in art. She is an inspiration to women artists everywhere!

Ellen Ochoa

Ellen Ochoa was the first Hispanic woman to go to space. She received her master’s and a doctorate studying electrical engineering at Stanford University. Ochoa also worked at NASA for a few years before being selected to serve as mission specialist on the space shuttle “Discovery.” Yay women in STEM! During her lifetime, she has been on four space journeys. Ochoa became director of NASA’s Johnson Space Center, being the first Hispanic and only second woman to hold the post. Born of a Mexican descent, the impact of Ochoa’s journey on young women and Hispanic children has now inspired her to visit ethnic neighborhoods and speak about her experience. Her life and accomplishments are truly inspiring.

Sonia Sotomayor

Sonia Sotomayor made history in 2009 as the first Hispanic woman to serve on the U.S. Federal Supreme Court. Her parents were immigrants from Puerto Rico, making Sonia a first generation American. Her father passed away when she was nine-years-old, and her mother worked tirelessly to send her to Catholic high school, where Sonia graduated as valedictorian. She then went on to receive a full scholarship from Princeton University and recieve her J.D. from Yale Law School. She was nominated by President Barack Obama, becoming the third woman and first Hispanic person on the Supreme Court. She has been involved in the verdict of various monumental cases and forever made an impact on the United States—representing Hispanic-Americans everywhere.

Lin Manuel Miranda

Ah, you know it isn’t my article unless I mention theatre in some way. Lin Manuel Miranda has been actively influencing the entertainment industry for the past 20 years. One of his first projects, an original musical titled “In the Heights”—which was recently adapted into a movie—revolves around first-generation Hispanic immigrants working for a better life. His most successful project “Hamilton” follows the life of the U.S. founding father Alexander Hamilton in a musical format. The cast consists entirely—with the exception of King George III—of people of color, reflecting the diversity of American life today and portraying them as influential people of power. Most recently, he created the music for the Disney animated film “Encanto,” which follows the journey of a young Colombian girl and her magical family. Miranda’s work has featured and revolved around primarily Hispanic actors, providing diverse representation for future generations to come.

There are numerous other Hispanic people that I didn’t have time to mention who have made an impact on the way we live our lives today. Hopefully you’ve learned something new! As a young Hispanic-American girl, it meant a lot to see this type of representation and know that I could change the world. Representation in culture made me feel that I wasn’t alone and encouraged me to want to achieve some of the things that these incredible people have accomplished. And thanks to Ellen Ochoa, I knew that the even the sky wasn’t a limit for me.