Honorary Degrees

The following women did not attend The Sarah Connor Charm School, however, the school has conveyed up on them Honorary Degrees due to the bravery, skill and resourcefulness they showed in the face of confrontation. They are inspirational strong women!

Posthumous Honorees *NEW*| Civilians Turned Warrior *NEW* | Organized Groups | Professional Warriors | Warrior Athletes *NEW*

Historic Honorees

Emma Gatewood Was First Woman to Hike Entire Appalachian Trail Alone When 67 Years-Old and Then Became The First Person to Do So Multiple Times

Hannie Schaft, “The Girl With the Red Hair,” Was a Dutch Resistance fighter, Executed by Nazis in 1945

Jane Hughes (later Jane Fawcett) was the Code Breaker That Identified the Message That Led to Sinking the Bismark

Marion Pritchard Helped Jews Escape the Holocaust

Doris Bohrer Was a WW II Spy with the OSS, the Agency that Later Became the CIA

Virginia Hall, the Woman the Nazis Called “the Most Dangerous of All Allied Spies”

NMSU’s First Black Graduate, Clara Belle Williams, Was a Highly Honored Educator and a Lifelong Student

Gertrude Ederle Was the First Woman to Swim the English Channel in 1926

Dr. Olivia J. Hooker Survived the Tulsa Race Riot of 1921 as a Child, Became First Black Woman to Enlist in Coast Guard, a Professor and Civil Rights Activist

Babe Didrikson Zaharias All-Round Athlete, Participated in Multiple Sports, Excelled in Several, Set World Records and Showed the World Women Could Play

Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell, Admitted to Medical School as a Joke, Became First Woman Doctor, Made Huge Changes for Women as Doctors and Patients

Plutonium Plant Worker Karen Silkwood was Heavily Contaminated with Radiation and Killed in a Suspicious Car Crash After Revealing Extreme Safety Violations

Miss Cora Strayer, Private Detective and Colonel in a Women’s Calvary Regiment During the Border War

Noor Inayat Khan, Indian Princess, Chidren’s Writer, British Radio Operator and Spy Was Executed by Nazi

Sophie Scholl Co-founded the anti-Nazi Group White Rose and Was Executed for Her Efforts to Speak Out

Former Slave Who Became a Pioneer “Stagecoach Mary” Fields

The “Night Witches” of the Russian 558th Night Bomber Regiment

“Miss Sanderson” Taught the “Womanly Art” of Parasol Self-defense in the Early 1900s

The Angels of Bataan and Corregidor WWII Nurses Taken Prisoner of War They Continued Their Work by Caring for Other Prisoners

Mildred Fish Harnack, Journalist, Teacher and Translator, Executed on Hitler’s Orders for Her Involvement in the Resistance

Switchboard Operator Theresa “Tessie” McNamara Saved 1,400 Munitions Workers during WWI

Irena Sendler Smuggled Jewish children from the Warsaw Ghetto, protected them when tortured

WWII Heroine Nancy “The White Mouse” Wake

Andrée Virot Peel aka Agent Rose, who saved 102 Allied airmen through a system of safe houses, suffered torture and was nearly executed by the Gestapo

Miep Gies, who hid the Frank family and again risked her life to go back to their hideout and found and preserved Anne Frank’s words of bravery and tolerance

Posthumous Honorees

Husne Ara Parvin Died Rushing to the Men’s Mosque to Save Her Disabled Husband From Shooter *NEW*

Healer Zura Karuhimbi Used Reputation for Magical Power to Save over 100 People from Rwandan Genocide Squads

Palestinian Paramedic Razan al-Najjar Was Shot by Israeli Soldiers While Trying to Save Downed Protester

Brazilian Politician Marielle Franco, Fought for Women and the Poor, was Murdered Following Event for Women

Philosopher Anne Dufourmantelle, “Life Begins With Risk,” Drowned Attempting to Save Children

Candy Arthurs Was Murdered Saving Her Grandchildren from a Pedophile

Principal Susan Jordan was Killed Saving Students from a Runaway Bus

Brenda Lee Marquez McCool Died Saving Her Son from the Pulse Nightclub Shooter

Activist Sandra Bland Died While Held in Jail After Arrest During Traffic Stop

Sabeen Mahmud Kept Speaking Out About Disappearances Despite Death Threats, Was Shot and Killed

Shireen Taher, Hameera Muhammed, Berivan Fadhil and Ruhan Hassan Are Four of the Kurdish Women Who Died Defending Kobani From the Daesh

Firefighter Joyce Craig-Lewis Gave Her Life To Try to Save Elderly Resident

Tugce Albayrak Was Murdered by One of the Men She Confronted for Harassing Teenage Girls

Reyhaneh Jabbari Was Executed by Iran After She Defended Herself from a Rapist Who was Killed

Kurdish Soldier Arin Mirkan Blew Herself and Several Islamic State Militants Up to Avoid Capture (see group honorees below)

Crew Member Park Jee Young Died Saving Passengers from Sinking Sewol Ferry

Firefighter Anne Sullivan Died With Three of Her Brother Firefighters While Searching for Victims in Houston Hotel Fire

The Teachers and Staff of Sandy Hook

While we may never know the exact details, while people might debate the veracity of some of the stories, we may never know how many more young lives might have been lost, we know that these women, charged with the care of so many youngsters, did what they could to protect these young lives. They should be remembered. We do not know the name of all the women who survived and who are also heroes, but these six women gave their lives:

Dawn Hochsprung Mary Sherlach Vicki Leigh Soto Rachel Davino Anne Marie Murphy Lauren Rousseau

Civilians Turned Warriors

Candice Payne Rented 20 Hotel Rooms for Homeless During Polar Vortex *NEW*

After Fighting Off a Rapist, Runner Kelly Herron Became a Self-Defense Advocate *NEW*

Pam Bales Rescued a Man on Mt. Washington from More than Hypothermia

MMA Fighter Polyana Viana Beat Up and Apprehended Would-be Mugger

Ellen Gerhart was Sentenced to 2-6 Months, Served 2, for Fighting Pipeline

Nurse Alex Wubbels Protected Her Unconscious Patient from Officer Demanding Blood Sample

Maya Little Protested a Confederate Statue, Leading to Other Protesters Later Toppling It

Jacqueline Dixon Shot and Killed Her Estranged Husband in Self-Defense

Heather Zabrowski Rushed to Burning Car to Rescue Incapacitated Driver

Waitress Warrior Emelia Holden Slammed Man Who Groped Her While She Worked

Separated from Her Own Children, Asylum Seeker Mabel Gonzales Organized Separated Mothers in ICE Detention

Mom Shot and Wounded Carjacker Who Tried to Drive Off with Her Children in Back

Therese Patricia Okoumou Climbed the Base of the Statue of Liberty to Protest Immigration Policy

Mother Shot Man Who Traveled From NZ to US to Target Her Daughter

Tiana Smalls Shutdown Illegal ICE Search on Bus

Ieshia Evans by Jonathan Bachman — REUTERS/Jonathan Bachman

Ieshia Evans Stood Up to Riot Police to Protest Police Violence

Dede Phillips Strangled Rabid Bobcat That Attacked Her While Her Granddaughter Slept Nearby

Siwatu-Salama Ra Used Legal Gun to Defend Her Mother, Daughter and Self Was Convicted and Sentenced to Two Years While Pregnant (How you can help)

Joanne Stammer Took Over Holding Man Attempting to Jump From Bridge (see also John Connor Award recipients Devonte Cafferkey, Sammy Farah and Shawn Young)

Tess Asplund Faced Down 300 Marching Neo-Nazis with Fist Raised

Unnamed 65 Year-Old Woman Shot and Wounded Would Be Robber

Grandmothers in Kenya Learn Martial Arts to Fight Rapists

The Women of Standing Rock Lead the Movement to Protect Water

Crossing Guard Adrian Young Saved Girl from Kidnapper

Bus Driver Reneita Smith Saved 20 Children From Burning Bus

Iraqi Grandmother Killed Daesh Fighters and Cooked their Heads to Avenge Her Family

Iraqi Woman Killed Senior Daesh Commander Who had Forced Her into Sex Slavery

73 year-old Meenakshi Amma Teaches Marital Arts and Self Defense

Theresa Kachindamoto, senior chief of the Dedza District of Central Malawi, Terminates Child Marriages and Fights for the Future of Girls and Young Women

Alice Graber Retired at 93 Years-Old After 72 Years Serving Her Community as a Nurse (continued volunteering at nursing home)

Demi Frandsen Donated 131 Gallons of Breast Milk to Help At Risk Infants After Losing Her Own Baby

Shetamia Taylor Took a Bullet to Her Leg While Shielding Sons from Dallas Shooter

Mom Saved Son from Mountain Lion

Mom Kicked the Butt of Kidnapper Who Grabbed Her Daughter

Patrisse Cullors, Opal Tometi and Alicia Garza Started #BlackLivesMatter to Bring Attention to the Systemic Devaluing of Black Lives in Our Society

Three Women Stepped In and Stopped a Rape After Seeing a Man Drug His Date’s Drink

80 Year-old Barb Moles Shot and Killed the Intruder Who Had Beat and Stabbed her Husband

Melanie Armstrong Fought Off An Armed Robber Who Attacked Her in Her Tack Shop

Tiffanie Hupp Stopped a Cop from Shooting Her Tied Dog, Was Violently Arrested, Later Found Not Guilty of Of Obstruction

Bettina Cuce Rodriguez Faced 10 Years for Saving and Rehoming a Dog Chained in Freezing Weather, Charge was Reduced and She Served 5 Days After Dog’s Owner Fled Courtroom During Trial

Tiana Carruthers Was Shot Three Times Getting Children Away From Gunman

An Escort Fought Off and Escaped Her Attacker Who Told Her “Tonight is the night you’re gonna die”

Charlotte Heffelmire Lifted Fallen Truck off Her Father in Burning Garage, Then Drove the Truck Outside Before the Gas Tank Exploded

73 Year-old Jean Walsh Took on Home Intruder, Her Overly-Friendly Border Collie Marley Fails to get First Line of Defense Heroes Award, However

Bishara Farah Became the First Female Ambulance Driver in a Conservative and Dangerous Section of Kenya

Sandra Ferguson Stopped the Kidnapping of an 11 year-old Girl

Medieval Combat Fighter and Roller Derby Competitor Karen Dolley Held an Intruder at Sword-Point Until Police Arrived

Tina Manns Risked Her Life Helping Rural Domestic Violence Victims for Nearly a Quarter Century

Waitress Pulled Customer From Car Just Before It Burst Into Flames

MMA Fighter Monique Bastos Captured One of the Two Robbers Who Accosted Her and Held Him Until Police Arrived

Nurse and Roller Derby Player Ida B. ChoAzz (Heidi Muat) Chased Down Purse Snatcher

MMA Fighters Leslie Smith and Heather Jo Clark Beat Up Man Sexually Harassing and Assaulting a Group of Women

Woman Killed Her Attacker in Self-Defense and May Have Taken Out a Serial Killer

Ana Dean Hunted Down and Then Blocked In Her Late Husband’s Stolen Truck Until Police Arrived

Brittany Beard and Head Squire Noelle (no last name found) Took Down Sword Thief at Renaissance Faire

92 year-old Violet Palmer Was Jailed for Protesting Fracking

Dawn Simmonds Dove into Pond to Save Her Dog, Star, from a Raccoon

Over My Dead Body

In the summer of 2015 Investigation Discovery ran a 12 episode docu-series, Over My Dead Body, about women defending themselves and loved ones (yeah, kind of like we do here!) hosted by Linda “Sarah Connor” Hamilton herself! The Sarah Connor Charm School is a bit embarrassed that we actually already had only one of these stories honored here. This section here is to rectify that and include the other 11 women who did what they had to to survive. The series can be watched through Amazon.com linked through the IMDB page and may be run on occasion on ID.

12 “Don’t Mess With Texas” Mira O’Connell Fought off Armed Man Who Attacked Her in Her Bed, Now LEO She Advocates and Teaches Self-Defense

11 “Night Walker” Veteran Charmaine Dunbar Escaped an Armed Wanted Serial Rapist on a Nighttime Walk Only to Have To Shoot Him When He Came After Her in the Morning

10 “Midnight Intruder” Mabel Fletcher’s Home was Broken Into by a Woman Who Attacked Despite Mabel’s Gun (her dog Benji woke her and is a First Line of Defense Hero)

9 “Eye for an Eye” Teresa Martin Fought Armed Intruder Who Broke Into Her Bedroom

8 “Facing Down Terror” Rose Parker Defended Herself and Brother from Her Abuser, Now a Minister Helping Other Victims of Domestic Violence

7 “Split Second To Live” Susan Gonzalez Realized She Had to Take Action and Grab One of her Husband’s Guns to Defend Him and Herself from Armed Intruders

6 “Fight or Die” Former LEO Letisha Wilson Had to Defend Herself From Two Armed Robbers While Delivering Pizza

5 “Mother of All Lies” 9 Month Pregnant Sarah Brady Had to Fight For Her Life Against a Woman Out to Take Her Unborn Child

4 “Go To Your Safe Place” Kellie Hoehn Grabbed Shotgun Pointed at Her Children, With Husband Defended Against Armed Intruders

3 “Give Me Strength” Misty Harris Had to Use What She Had to Defend Against Her Ex-boyfriend’s Attack

2 “Revenge on Wheels” Dorothy Baker Fought Off Carjacker to Protect Her Children and Herself (This one was the only one we got first)

1 “Soul Mate From Hell” Jennifer Livingston Had to Defend Herself and Her Children When Her Estrange Broke In

Brittany “Bree” Newsome Climbed Flag Pole to Remove Confederate Battle Flag from South Carolina State Capital Grounds

Allison McGee Rescued Girl Caught in Undertow

Ms. Dee Sent Armed Intruders Running Even After Being Shot in Her Leg

Chasity Spence Tore Down A Wall to Rescue Children from Burning Shed

92 year-old Eileen Mason Saved Her Friend from a Mugger by Hitting Him with Her Mobility Scooter

Labannya Hijra Captured Two Murder Suspects Which May Have Helped Change the Perception of Some About the Hijra of Bangladesh

Pradnya Mandhare Dragged Her Attacker by His Hair into Police Station

Mom Restrained Her 12 year- old Daughter’s Rapist Until Police Arrived

Wang Yanfang and Four Other Elderly Women Take Care of Over 1,000 Stray Dogs in China

Mom Defended Her Daughter from School Officials Intending to Punish the Girl for Defending Herself from Sexual Assault by Male Student (see daughter in John Connor Award

Unknown Saudi Woman Stood Up to Religious Police Who Accosted in Her in a Mall

Woman Saved Missing Woman

Kathleen Adair Rescued a Bald Eagle She Found in a Trap

Hannah Turner Ran Back into Burning Building to Save Her Son

Museum Receptionist Sharon Wise Stopped Man from Abducting Child

Teacher Kristina Buhrman Saved 38 Children from Burning Bus

Grieving Mother, Reza Gul, Picked Up Her Dead Son’s Gun to Take On the Taliban Attackers who Killed Him and Threatened the Rest of Her Family

Zoe Quinn, Anita Sarkeesian, Brianna Wu, Felicia Day, Alanah Pearce Have Faced Down Internet GamerGate Bullies “Doxing” and Threatening Sexual Violence and Death for Speaking Out Against Misogyny In Gaming

Brittany Owens Saved an Injured Dog from Man Planning to Suffocate It Then Adopted the Dog

Nursing Student Fatu Kekula Saved Three Family Members from Ebola and Developed a Home-made Protection Protocol Using Trashbags

Woman Shot Her Stalker When He Broke Down Her Door (Her own words) (one of the news stories)

“Dudu” Saved Her Sisters and Herself After Being Kidnapped by the Daesh

Sarah Marquis – Walked 10,000 Miles in 3 Years, a Chapter in a Life of Adventure

Angela Radtke Broke Into Hot Car to Save a Baby While Others Stood Around Telling Her She’d be Arrested (she wasn’t)

Patti Kearney Used Back Scratcher and Wrench to Chase Out Intruder “BAM!”

Angela Martin Shot and Killed a Man Stabbing Her

Judy Camp was Arrested and Risked Prison for Rescuing a Dog (she was later acquitted of pet theft and fined for obstruction)

Alicia Cappola Drove an Intruder Away with a Knife During a 911 Outage

Mindy Tran Used Her Body to Stop Car Rolling Away with Daughters

Detroit Mom Opened Fire on Three Home Invaders

Carla Stopped Home Invasion with Shotgun

Aiya Van Kooten Went Into “Predator Mode” and Chased Down Burglars

Jewelyes Gutierrez was Targeted for Punishment for Defending Herself from Transphobic Bullies

Dunkin’ Donuts Stops Robbery Wigh Hot Coffee

Opal Phelps, 92, Kicked Home Intruder in Face (the SCCS would like to remind everyone, that while we admire her fortitude, secure your guns if you are not using them!)

CeCe McDonald Killed a Racist and Transphobic Attacker in Self-Defense Yet Spent 19 months of a 41 Month 2nd Degree Manslaughter Sentence in a Men’s Prison

Woman Shot an Killed Intruder After He Sexually Assaulted Her

Bus Driver Risked Life Evacuating Bus And Driving to Less Populated Area With Bomb

Gas Station Clerk December Long Shot and Killed Robber Who Shot Her in the Abdomen

Robyn Irvine, Former Competitor, Chased Out Burglar with One of Her Throwing Axes

Andi Davis Found a Shot Pit Bull While Hiking, Carried the 47 lb. Dog Out to Get Care, Adopted Him

Kari Bird Pulled Gun to Fend Off Armed Carjackers

Susan Kuhnhausen Fought Off and Killed the Hitman Her Husband Hired to Kill Her

Antoinette Tuff Talked Down Armed Man Preventing an Intended School Shooting and Suicide-by-cop

Angela Champagne-From Fought Off a Knife-wielding Rapist and Became a Champion and Teacher of Other Women

Cabin Manager Lee Yoon-hye and the Other Asiana Flight 214 Flight Attendants are Heroes

Sarah Tatterson, Marathon Runner, Chased Down a Bike Thief

Haley B. Elkins’ Mom Helped Women Escape Abuse and Taught Her Daugter to Live Bravely

Jan Cooper, 72, Shot At and Chased Off an Intruder to Defend Her Husband and Herself

We will never know all the names of all the heroes who ran to help, some even while themselves hurt, after the Boston Marathon explosions, so we’ll let this story of Amanda North who saved Erika Brannock represent the heroism so many showed on that day.

Shirley Roberts Shot One of Three Robbers Trying to Break Into Her Home

Grandma Thwarted Kidnap Attempt at Car Park

Kainat Soomro Was 13 When She First Stood Up Against Her Rapists, But Her and Her Family’s Fight Continues

Ann Curtis Confronted Thieves then Locked Them in Yard

Ingrid Loyau-Kennett Talked Down London Attackers After Checking to See if the Victim Could Be Helped

Leah Peisner Beat Up Knife-wielding Attacker

Woman Shot Knife-Wielding Home Invader Who Attacked Her

Melissa Torrez Chased Down the Man who Kidnapped Her 4 year-old Daughter

Kim Phuc Uses Her Unfortunate Fame as the Little Napalm Girl in the Iconic Photo to Help Other Children Victimized by War

High School Senior Katelyn Campbell Stood Up to Misogynist Principal’s Threats

Alexandria Goddard “Complicated” the Steubenville Rape Case and Stood Up for Jane Doe

Juliane Koepcke, Sole Survivor of a Plane Crash, Survived the Peruvian Rainforest Alone and Injured at 17

Women Brandish Knives to Protest Sexual Assault in Cairo

Ernestine Aldana Stops Robbery Attempt at Her Store

Teryl Parnell Found Napping Burglar, Held Him for Police with Machete

Rukhsana Kausar Killed Militant Leader with an Ax and his own AK47 to Save Self and Family

Kara Bilzerian Beat Up Intruder Who Strangled and Clubbed Her

Mother Shoots Intruder to Defend Herself and Her Children

Mary Evans Soaked Herself in Water to Enter Burning Building to Save Three Children

Meghan Conley Fought Off Attacker and Advocates for Self-Defense

Argentine Mom, Susana Trimarco, Rescues Hundreds of Sex Slaves

Dallas Woman Shoots at Two Intruders, Kills One

14 year-old Pakistani Malala Yousafzai Shot by Taliban Members for Speaking Out for Girls’ Education

“Badly covered” Iranian Woman Beats Berating Cleric

Rain Dove Saves Couple Attacked by Mob While Others Stood-by

Pregnant Turkish Woman Shoots and Decapitates Rapist

Antoinette Robinson Hits Abductor With 2×4 to Rescue Daughter

Ruby Hodge, 89, Pulls Gun on Burglars

California Jewelry Store Owner Fires Back at Armed Robbers

Lauren Kornacki Lifts BMW, Performs CPR To Save Father’s Life

Rosa Myles Shot Home Invader

Otilia Martins, 80, Fought Off Armed Robbers with Fruit

Woman Whose Husband Placed Ad to Have Her Raped Defended Herself with a Handgun

Jackie Simonson, 75, Fought Off Two Cougars to Save Her Dog

Beatriz Jimenez Chases Driver After Tragic Hit And Run Accident

Martial Artist Priscilla Dang Defended Herself from Two Teenagers

Zarifa Qazizadah, Mother Of 15, Becomes Afghanistan’s First Female Village Chief

Karen Curran Defended Her Dog From Mama Bear With Toy Sword

Marissa Alexander Fired a warning shot at abuser attacking her and was sentenced to 20 years

90 year-old Venus Green locks abusive cop in cellar

15 year-old Madison Wallraf Saved 25 Horses from Burning Barn

Victoria Jones Beats Intruder with Bedpost to Defend Children and Self

Dorothea Taylor, 85, Use Shovel to Save Her Husband from Moose

Sarah McKinley, 18, Shoots Intruder to Defend Infant Son and Self

Suzan Merrit Saves Her Dog from Bear

Shyane DeJesus Beats-Up and Photographs Groper

Keenia Williams Saved Truck Driver from Flaming Wreck

Horse Warrior Erin Bolster and Tonk Take on Bear to Save Boy (see Max’s First Line of Defense Heroes)

Wrestling Sisters, Brittany and Brienna Delgado, Take Down Hit-And-Run Suspect

Brooke Collins Punches Bear to Save Her Dog

Holly Pullen Saves Daughter From Child Molester by Beating Him to a Pulp

Finnish married lesbian couple rescues 40 kids during Norway shooting rampage

Swedish woman beats up groper –goes free

Linda Carr grabs and holds burglar until police arrive

Woman bites off attacker’s tongue: ‘It was a substantial piece,’ officer says

Woman walks through market holding severed head of man who tried to rape her

Bangladesh woman cuts off attacker’s penis

Aussie woman, 89, Beats Up Bandit with Handbag

16 Year Old Karate Student Beats Attacker

Cancer Stricken Helen Dunsford Jumped Bank Robber

Elaina Young stopped a man who is charged with trying to abduct a young girl at a school bus stop

Patricia Maisch, along with Col. Bill Badger, Roger Salzgeber and Joseph Zamudio, subdued shooter in Tuscon AZ, preventing more deaths

Justine Masika Bihamba “I will not be safe until all Congolese women are safe”

Iraqi Mothers Take Up Arms to Protect Families from Terrorism

Knife-wielding Mugger chased off by Sword-wielding dancer Zarmineh Moody

Kindra Arnesen champions those whose lives are in danger due to BP’s greed and lies – Video

Saudi Woman Beats up Virtue Cop

Five Husson University students save another from knife wielding attacker

Malalai Joya – The woman who will not be silenced

The Goretti Girls – Catholic School Girls Take on Pervert

Ninety-Five-Year-Old Woman Holds Off Burglar with Screwdriver

Seventy-year-old woman holds home intruder at gunpoint

Boxer Stops Thief Taking Her Electronics and Makes Him Pick Them Up

Woman kills man who returned to rape her second time

Utah Store Clerk Shoots Armed Robber with his own gun

Trinidad Woman Risks Life to Defend Leatherback Turtles

Know of an inspiring story about a woman or women fighting back? Please feel free to nominate her or them via The Sarah Connor Charm School on FaceBook

All photos on this page are linked to source sites

Historic Honorees

Posthumous Honorees

The Teachers and Staff of Sandy Hook

Civilians Turned Warriors

Over My Dead Body

Organized Group Honorees – both civilian and professional

Professional Warriors (law enforcement officers, fire fighters, emts, soldiers)

Warrior Athletes (those who inspire us for their daring and power)