These days, good roles models are hard to come by. Celebrities in the media are impossible to live up to. In every magazine, there’s another size two model standing next to a chiseled hunk. It’s important for teens to understand that no one is that perfect. Beauty is more than just image, wealth, and glamor. Morals and self-worth should not take a back seat.

All around is talk of what outrageous thing some celebrity did this week. Know-nothing celebrities get rewarded and praised for being public nuisances; the bigger the scandal the better.

Take for example the Kardashians — America’s favorite family. Has anyone asked why they are American’s favorite family? Families like the Kardashians have gained their fame through family scandals and good looks.

The Kardashians are idolized for living their lives with perfect hair and make-up. Only one of the three Kardashian sisters, Kourtney, has even gone to college just to end up having an illegitimate child with a man who treated her like crap on national television.

Kim Kardashian gained popularity for her family by the discovery of her risqué videos. She received so much publicity and attention for something that should not be acceptable. What are kids to think? Kim’s claim to fame is far from something to look up to.

More recently, Kim Kardashian married Kris Humphries with a 10-million dollar wedding after being together for a mere six months. Jealousy spread around the world when the middle Kardashian sister was taken off the market. Not to worry- the marriage ended quickly. After just two months, the couple split.

The news of the divorce spread fast. The media made light of a serious situation. Marriage and divorce is something to be taken seriously. Young girls should not be looking up to relationships rooted in pure lust.

It’s confusing enough for girls to know what they should be looking for in a relationship when the divorce rate is higher than ever. Everyone wants to find that ‘true love,’ but how do we know what’s true? Instead of looking up to the people who make America look bad, attention needs to be shifted to the admirable people.

My role model is much closer to home. I look up to my sister, a beautiful girl with dreams and aspirations and the drive to take her there. She’s the hardest working 23-year-old I know and I can only hope to be as successful as she is.

I have learned from my sister how to be a leader, a hard-worker and a friend. She got her dream job working at Self Magazine six months after graduating from Sacred Heart University with a 3.4 average. These are accomplishments that really matter in life.

So if you are like me, look up to the girls with curves, the people who have done something good, the families that stick together, and the relationships that last. Look to people you know, look at what makes them a good person and strive for those traits within yourself.