Young Women's Honors Event 2016

Marie Claire's first-ever Young Women's Honors event is just a few weeks away, and if you're not already planning to watch, the list of honorees may just change your mind.

Honorees like Simone Biles, the gymnastics powerhouse who is the most decorated American gymnast of all time. Biles won a gold medal in the individual all-around, vault, and floor events at the 2016 Olympics, and was part of the gold-medal winning "Final Five" gymnastics team that stole your heart in Rio.

Or Fereshteh Forough, the founder of Code to Inspire who is empowering women and girls in Afghanistan with technical literacy; Dr. Vanessa Kerry, the founder of Seed Global Health, a program that places health professionals abroad to educate, train, and build local health services; and Amanda Nguyen, who worked with members of Congress to create a bill protecting the rights of sexual assault survivors. These are just a few of the incredible women we're celebrating who prove—yet again—that the future is female.

The night will also feature a special dedication to First Lady Michelle Obama and Let Girls Learn, the initiative launched by the President and First Lady to address the importance of young girls' education. Says host Gina Rodriguez: "It's a true honor to have First Lady Michelle Obama and Let Girls Learn featured at this event."

Couldn't have said it better ourselves. To learn more about Young Women's Honors, head to the website here, and be sure to tune in on December 19 at 9 p.m. EST on the CW network.

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Maggie Maloney Associate Digital Editor Maggie Maloney is the associate editor at Town & Country and ELLE Decor, where she covers style, beauty, jewelry, and the many members of the royal family.