There is something special that sets apart those who, in the words of the French philosopher Simone Weil, “give an order” to themselves to be a hero or heroine. Unfortunately, heroines sometimes go unrecognized for their work. USA TODAY’s Women of the Year project is an attempt to remedy that. Across America, USA TODAY readers submitted their nominations for national and state Women of the Year honorees. Head to the link in our bio to see the representative for your state, to our Instagram Guide to check out the national honoree, and to our WOTY 2023 Instagram Highlight to read more about them.