An influential character is a fictional being who inspires viewers by how they dress and talk or by their overall characteristics. Pauley Perrette knows too well the responsibility of playing a character that raises its viewers. On NCIS, she portrayed Abby Sciuto, the pigtailed-wearing Forensic Scientist who was unapologetically herself.

In 2018, Perrette talked to PEOPLE about her scholarship for young women who wanted to follow in Abby's footsteps and pursue a real-life career in math and science.

"Abby is not just a TV character for people," she said. "These young girls have modeled their entire lives off of her. It's like Abby has raised a couple of generations of young girls and has inspired this international phenomenon of young women going into math and science and STEM programs because she made it accessible, cool, attainable and fun."

She continued, "It makes me so happy and it warms my heart so much that this is literally going to be an immortal legacy for these real-life people to be afforded this education and to pursue criminal science and forensics, all because of Abby."