International Women’s Day was Tuesday. Photographer Maggie Renfro asked NIU students to talk about an important woman in their life. Here’s what some NIU students had to say:

Kelsey Mellin, senior visual communications major, said that her mother, Elizabeth Mellin, is the most influential woman in her life.

“She is going through ovarian cancer, and she is always there to support me, both financially and emotionally,” Mellin said.

Peyton Marcotte, senior human resource management major, said the most important woman in her life is her younger sister McKinley Anna Marcotte.

“She came into my life when I was nine years old,” Marcotte said. “She has taught me how to take care of another person and it helped me realize how awesome it is to have a sibling. I have taken her under my wing. She is the reason I do half of the stuff that I am currently doing. I have a tattoo of her on my back, so she is kind of the color of my life.”

Junior accounting major Grace Krienke said she is thankful for her mother, Dawn Krienke.

“She is the most influential person in my life because I really look up to her because she raised four kids all on her own,” Krienke said.