She Persisted: Florence Nightingale

Florence Nightingale never wanted to be a proper lady!
While some girls enjoyed sewing, Florence loved math. But that was just the beginning. Florence became a pioneer in nursing and is one of the most famous nurses of all time. She developed many of the hygiene procedures we use today, such as washing hands, wearing masks, and keeping hospitals cleans.
But for all she would do in her life, Florence’s road to becoming a nurse wasn’t easy.
Florence Nightingale was born in Florence, Italy, on May 12, 1820. Her sister, Parthenope, was only a year old at the time. Their English parents, William and Frances (also known as Fanny), were on a three year honeymoon around Europe when the girls were born. Because the Nightingales loved Italy so much, they named the girls after Italian cities.
Florence and Parthenope (or “Pop” as Florence called her) lived a very privileged life. William was a wealthy banker and politician. And Frances was a true socialite. She loved throwing fancy parties and inviting those she considered to be the brightest minds of the time. They also had many visits from family and friends. No matter who showed up, Frances encouraged her daughters to mingle with their company.
But Florence was not interested in parties. She felt awkward and didn’t like being the center of attention. Florence would often butt heads with her mother, especially when Fanny pushed her daughters to lead  what she considered a normal life for white, wealthy English women in the 1800s.
The Nightingales lived in two different houses throughout the year. The houses were so big they even had their own names! In the winter, the Nightingales lived in their estate at Embley Park, located south of London. The mansion had many bedrooms and sat on five square miles of beautiful countryside. In the summer, the family moved north to their country home, Lea Hurst. Florence (nicknamed Flo) loved her time at Lea Hurst. The house sat at the edge of a beautiful village overlooking rolling hills and sloping green meadows. She enjoyed wandering through the gardens and reading.
While Pop was interested in music, art, and sewing, Florence showed a love for math and science. She collected shells and coins and then spent hours arranging them based on their colors, sizes, and shapes. Once they were organized, Florence would make noted about them in tables and lists. In fact, Florence wrote her first letter in 1826, when she was six years old, and in it, she categorized and counted all the animals she saw at the nearby zoo.
Math was a special talent Florence used throughout her life.