who is the most important person in my life essay

Personal Essay Example:  The Most Influential and Impactful People in My Life

Typically, high school students have a best friend that is relatively the same age as them. Well, my best friend is a middle-aged man. My best friend is my dad. When I think of someone who has impacted my life, my mind immediately goes to him. I think about all the things I have told him that can only come from a certain amount of trust. When you share a decent amount of trust with someone, a bond seems to form, one unlike any other. A bond that makes a person your best friend. My dad is and always will be my best friend. 

For as long as I can remember, basketball has been one of my dad’s favorite things. He would always talk about his teams, who they were going to play, and how well the competition would be. My dad has coached girls basketball for eleven years, ranging from coaching seventh grade to ninth grade. I have always admired how connected my dad was with his teams. When I would go to his games, I could see how much trust he had in his players and how much trust they had in him. While playing a school sport, it is guaranteed that there will be some amount of drama. Players would try to tear the team apart by fomenting drama or parents will be insatiable with their child’s playing time. I heard about all of this at home. I would hear about how frustrated my dad was getting because he heard a parent complaining to another parent about his coaching skills. It has always been hard seeing him get frustrated with these sorts of things because he doesn’t normally let the words of parents get under his skin. He rarely brings up what they say and he barely ever shows that he is paying attention to what they are saying. 

My dad has always been the kind of guy to push me to be my absolute best. He’s not the kind of guy to let me get away with putting half of my effort into anything. At work, my dad is a manager. Well, the manager of his department. He comes home all the time talking about how his coworkers will make him so mad because they seem like they don’t even want to be there. My dad has always told me, “If you’re going to do anything, always leave it all out there.” My dad and I both get very frustrated with ourselves when something is not going the way we want it to. My dad has managed to find something he calls the Reset Button. When he presses the Reset Button, he moves on from whatever is bothering and upsetting him. This magical button has never helped me. Brief exchanges of looks between me and my dad have always seemed to be my Reset Button. When I am frustrated and I make eye contact with my dad, it is almost like an entire conversation happens in thirty seconds. I don’t know if my dad means for that to happen, but it does. The words he says by saying nothing always seemed conducive to me. Like I know that no matter what happens, he is always going to be proud of me. 

I have always been a gullible person. You say something to me and I will believe it. I have a hard time with confrontation; therefore, I always believe the best in people and put all my trust in them. My dad; however, people have to earn his trust. When we have conversations about my gullibility, the conversation almost always ends with me in tears. My dad always tells me that if I continue to believe the best in people, they will always run me over. I have never really comprehended what he meant. I would hear what he said, and I’ve heard it multiple times, but I continue to put all my trust and believe the best in everyone. My dad has never told me why he continuously asks me to stop being so gullible. Maybe it was because he got hurt in the past believing people too much and he doesn’t want me to go through that same pain; however, I have never been able to ask him why. 

Collecting sports cards has become an obsession of my dads. Taking up an entire room in our house to be exact. To spend time with my dad, I went to a card show with him. As we rode in the car, I realized I had no idea what to expect going into the building; however, the excitement on my dad’s face made the uneasiness disappear. As we walked up to the exposition center and through the halls, I could see the excitement flowing from him. If you were to compare my dad and a kid in a candy shop at that exact moment, I truly believe you wouldn’t be able to tell a difference. When we finally got to the part of the building that was holding the card show, the countless tables full of objects ranging from cards to signed shoes astounded me. My father; however, was tremendously comfortable with the crowded environment. He made his way through the tables speaking the card addict lingo and by the time we were walking out the door, he was leaving with exactly what he had gone in looking for.

Car rides are always my favorite when I am with my dad. The things we talk about are all over the place. When you get in the car, you never really know what is going to happen. We could talk about sports, college, drama, or even the things that go on at home. My dad has always been the parent I feel more comfortable going up and talking to. When in the car with my dad, I feel safe. I feel like I can say anything and know that he is going to listen. Most of the time, when I am stressed about school, I always find myself talking to him about it in the car. At times, it feels like I am just talking to myself, but when that happens, I know my dad is listening to every word I say. I would say my dad is a very observant person. He always wants you to say everything and have your full stance before he chimes in with another component. 

While my dad can be straightforward, he is also one of the most humorous people I know. My dad will always try to make us laugh and it always brings a smile to the whole family. When my dad busts out his dance moves from back in the day, the amount of laughter that fills the room is astronomical. Or when he unleashes his vocals, that’s a household favorite. If one of us kids has a bad day at school, my dad will tell us a funny story from work. I wouldn’t say my dad is a people pleaser, but I think that when he truly wants to make someone’s day, he will find a way to make them smile. The amount of joy that my dad has in him seems to surprise some people. Some people will say that my dad is scary. When really, once you get to know him, he is a pretty exceptional guy. 

My dad has always told me and my siblings that no matter what we decide to do in life, he will support us no matter what. The belief in knowing that my dad has my back has always been so reassuring to me. When I decided to no longer take part in a sport that I had been participating in for what seems like forever, I truly thought my dad was going to be frustrated with me. I didn’t want him to believe I was just giving up. When he wasn’t upset, it took me by surprise. It had made me feel like the love my dad had for me had overridden his love for the sport and that he just wanted me to be happy. My whole life, having my dad’s approval on everything has been so important to me. One of my biggest goals ever since I was little has been to make my dad proud. My dad has been understanding of every decision I have made. When I decided on my career path, I could see how proud I was making him. The approval of my parents when choosing where I want to go to college and what I want to do after has always been important to me. I know no matter what I choose to do, my dad will be there and be my biggest supporter and scream my name the loudest at either my accomplishments or at my failure. I know he will be proud I tried and he will always be there to pick me up if I fall. 

Dad, you have been one of the most influential and impactful people in my life. You have made me see things from a different perspective. You have helped me get through things that I wouldn’t have been able to get through on my own. You have had conversations with me about things that are incredibly important to consider regarding my future. You are someone I feel like I can always go to, no matter the reason. You have made me laugh harder and more uncontrollably than anyone else. You have made me feel safe, and you have made me feel loved. Dad, I am so grateful for everything you have done for me. You are my forever best friend.

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Most Important Person In My Life

My mother is the most important person in my life. She has always been there for me, even when no one else was. She is a strong woman who has faced many challenges in her life, but she has never let them get the best of her.

My mother is a positive role model for me and for our whole family. She always looks on the bright side of things, even when things are tough. She is a great example of how to stay positive through tough times.

Mother is also a very hard worker. She has always worked hard to provide for our family. Even when times were tough, she never gave up. She is a great example of what it takes to be successful in life.

My mother, in my opinion, is the most essential person in my life because she is literally all I have and serves as both a source of inspiration and an enduring refuge during tough times. My essay wouldn’t be able to make me appreciate this minute of my existence now without my mother. My mother has introduced me to this fantastic planet. She felt terrible for nine months but refused to give up, finally delivering me after nine months.

She raised me and did everything for me. When I was a kid, my mom was always with me. She helped me to learn new things, to overcome all the difficulties and achieve success in life.

Now I understand that it is very important for me to be a good son for her, to help her when she needs it because she has always helped me and been there for me. It’s difficult to find words that could express all my gratitude to her, but I will try.

My mother is the most uplifting, influential figure in my life. Another reason my mother is so important to me is that she’s with me all of the time, whether I’m happy or sad. She assists me with tough issues in my life, and she is overjoyed by any positive developments I make. She was there for me from the moment I came into this world. She fed and cared for me without sleeping for many nights to make sure I was comfy.

When I was a little kid and didn’t know how to walk or talk, she was always there for me. She is the one who has been with me through everything, good and bad. She has never given up on me, no matter how hard things have gotten.

My mother is the most important person in my life because she has always been there for me. She has never given up on me, no matter how hard things have gotten. She is the one person who has always been there for me, through thick and thin. I can’t imagine my life without her by my side.

She came along on my strolls and was with me all the time. She assisted me with my homework in the first grade of my school; she taught me how to act properly. My mother is also the most essential person in my life since I am who I am because of her. She constantly strives to help me become a better person. My mother bought a lot of books for me as a child, including some intellectual games and that kind of thing.

My mother has been working hard for our family since I was born. My father died when I was very young, so she had to do everything for us. She is a strong woman who never gives up. Even though she works very hard, she always finds time for me and my sister.

My mother is the most important person in my life because she is the one who taught me how to be a good person. She always told me to be honest, kind and helpful. And that’s what I try to do in my life. I know it’s not always easy, but I try to do my best. Because of her, I am the person I am today – and I am grateful for that. Mother – you are the most important person in my life!

I want my mother to be proud of me. I want her to believe that she is the greatest mother in the world, and that I am the best kid on earth. That’s what I strive for. In school, I keep my behavior excellent; I don’t fight or break the rules. Unquestionably, my mother is the most significant figure in my life because she encourages me in pursuing my goals and aspirations, which is crucial for me to do so. My mother is undoubtedly the most essential person in my life since she always supports me in promoting my objectives and ambitions, even if we fight a lot of times.

My mother has always been there for me when I need her the most. She is always willing to help me with whatever I need, whether it is schoolwork, or just a shoulder to cry on. Even though we have our disagreements, she is always quick to forgive and forget. One of the things I admire most about her is her strength. No matter how tough things get, she never gives up. She has taught me that no matter what obstacles life throws my way, I should never give up on myself.

I am so grateful to have such an amazing mother in my life. Words cannot express how much she means to me. She is my inspiration and my best friend. I know that I can always count on her for anything I need. She is the most important person in my life and I love her with all of my heart.

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Sample Essays: Influential Person

Please select from the following sample application essays:

Essay 1: Wellesley | Essay 2: Harvard | Essay 3: Harvard

Note: The following essays were not edited by EssayEdge Editors. They appear as they were initially reviewed by admissions officers.

Sample Essay 1

Wellesley, Influence of mother

It took me eighteen years to realize what an extraordinary influence my mother has been on my life. She's the kind of person who has thoughtful discussions about which artist she would most want to have her portrait painted by (Sargent), the kind of mother who always has time for her four children, and the kind of community leader who has a seat on the board of every major project to assist Washington's impoverished citizens. Growing up with such a strong role model, I developed many of her enthusiasms. I not only came to love the excitement of learning simply for the sake of knowing something new, but I also came to understand the idea of giving back to the community in exchange for a new sense of life, love, and spirit.

My mother's enthusiasm for learning is most apparent in travel. I was nine years old when my family visited Greece. Every night for three weeks before the trip, my older brother Peter and I sat with my mother on her bed reading Greek myths and taking notes on the Greek Gods. Despite the fact that we were traveling with fourteen-month-old twins, we managed to be at each ruin when the site opened at sunrise. I vividly remember standing in an empty ampitheatre pretending to be an ancient tragedian, picking out my favorite sculpture in the Acropolis museum, and inserting our family into modified tales of the battle at Troy. Eight years and half a dozen passport stamps later I have come to value what I have learned on these journeys about global history, politics and culture, as well as my family and myself.

While I treasure the various worlds my mother has opened to me abroad, my life has been equally transformed by what she has shown me just two miles from my house. As a ten year old, I often accompanied my mother to (name deleted), a local soup kitchen and children's center. While she attended meetings, I helped with the Summer Program by chasing children around the building and performing magic tricks. Having finally perfected the "floating paintbrush" trick, I began work as a full time volunteer with the five and six year old children last June. It is here that I met Jane Doe, an exceptionally strong girl with a vigor that is contagious. At the end of the summer, I decided to continue my work at (name deleted) as Jane's tutor. Although the position is often difficult, the personal rewards are beyond articulation. In the seven years since I first walked through the doors of (name deleted), I have learned not only the idea of giving to others, but also of deriving from them a sense of spirit.

Everything that my mother has ever done has been overshadowed by the thought behind it. While the raw experiences I have had at home and abroad have been spectacular, I have learned to truly value them by watching my mother. She has enriched my life with her passion for learning, and changed it with her devotion to humanity. In her endless love of everything and everyone she is touched by, I have seen a hope and life that is truly exceptional. Next year, I will find a new home miles away. However, my mother will always be by my side.

The topic of this essay is the writer's mother. However, the writer definitely focuses on herself, which makes this essay so strong. She manages to impress the reader with her travel experience, volunteer and community experience, and commitment to learning without ever sounding boastful or full of herself. The essay is also very well organized.

Back to top.

Sample Essay 2

Harvard, Favorite fictional character

Of all the characters that I've "met" through books and movies, two stand out as people that I most want to emulate. They are Attacus Finch from To Kill A Mockingbird and Dr. Archibald "Moonlight" Graham from Field of Dreams. They appeal to me because they embody what I strive to be. They are influential people in small towns who have a direct positive effect on those around them. I, too, plan to live in a small town after graduating from college, and that positive effect is something I must give in order to be satisfied with my life.

Both Mr. Finch and Dr. Graham are strong supporting characters in wonderful stories. They symbolize good, honesty, and wisdom. When the story of my town is written I want to symbolize those things. The base has been formed for me to live a productive, helpful life. As an Eagle Scout I represent those things that Mr. Finch and Dr. Graham represent. In the child/adolescent world I am Mr. Finch and Dr. Graham, but soon I'll be entering the adult world, a world in which I'm not yet prepared to lead.

I'm quite sure that as teenagers Attacus Finch and Moonlight Graham often wondered what they could do to help others. They probably emulated someone who they had seen live a successful life. They saw someone like my grandfather, 40-year president of our hometown bank, enjoy a lifetime of leading, sharing, and giving. I have seen him spend his Christmas Eves taking gifts of food and joy to indigent families. Often when his bank could not justify a loan to someone in need, my grandfather made the loan from his own pocket. He is a real-life Moonlight Graham, a man who has shown me that characters like Dr. Graham and Mr. Finch do much much more than elicit tears and smiles from readers and movie watchers. Through him and others in my family I feel I have acquired the values and the burning desire to benefit others that will form the foundation for a great life. I also feel that that foundation is not enough. I do not yet have the sophistication, knowledge, and wisdom necessary to succeed as I want to in the adult world. I feel that Harvard, above all others, can guide me toward the life of greatness that will make me the Attacus Finch of my town.

This essay is a great example of how to answer this question well. This applicant chose characters who demonstrated specific traits that reflect on his own personality. We believe that he is sincere about his choices because his reasons are personal (being from a small town, and so forth). He managed to tell us a good deal about himself, his values, and his goals while maintaining a strong focus throughout.

Sample Essay 3

Harvard, Family illness: Mother's fight with cancer

I am learning, both through observations and first-hand experiences, that there are many mishaps in life which seem to be unexplainable and unfair, and yet have devastating consequences. Disease fits into this category. Its atrocity does not stem from the fact that it is a rare or uncommon occurrence, since illness and disease pervade our lives as we hear numerous stories of sick people and come into contact with them each day. However, there is a marked difference between reading in the newspaper that a famous rock star or sports icon has tested H.I.V. positive and discovering that your own mother has been diagnosed with cancer.

Undoubtedly, the most influential people in my life have been my mother and father. It is to them that I credit many of my accomplishments and successes--both inside and outside of school. Throughout my childhood, my parents have always fostered and encouraged me in all my endeavors. At all my sporting events, spelling bees, concerts, and countless other activities, they have always been front row and center. My parents, in conjunction with twelve years of Catholic training, have also instilled in me a sound belief in a loving, caring God, which I have come to firmly believe. It therefore should not come as a surprise that the news of my mothers sickness would greatly alter my entire outlook on life. Where was my God?

My mother, in fact, had been aware of her condition in the spring of my junior year in high school. She deliberately did not inform my sister or me of her illness because she did not want to distract us from our studies. Instead, my mother waited for the completion of her radiation therapy treatments. At this time, she brought me into her room, sat me down on the same wooden rocking chair from which she used to read me bedtime stories, and began to relate her story. I did not weep, I did not flinch. In fact, I hardly even moved, but from that point onward, I vowed that I would do anything and everything to please my mother and make her proud of me.

Every subsequent award won and every honor bestowed upon me has been inspired by the recollection of my mother's plight. I look to her as a driving force of motivation. In her I see the firm, enduring qualities of courage, strength, hope, and especially love. Whenever I feel discouraged or dispirited, I remember the example set by my mother and soon become reinvigorated. Instead of groveling in my sorrow, I think of all the pain and suffering that my mother had to endure and am revived with new energy after realizing the triviality of my own predicament. For instance, last year, when I was playing in a championship soccer game, my leg became entangled with a forwards leg on the other team, and I wound up tearing my medial cruciate ligament. I was very upset for having injured myself in such a seemingly inane manner. Completely absorbed in my own anguish, I would not talk to anyone and instead lamented on the sidelines. But then I remembered something that my mother used to say to me whenever something like this happened: If this is the worst thing that ever happens to you, I'll be very happy, and you'll be very lucky. Instantly, many thoughts race through my mind. I pictured my mother as a young thirteen-year-old walking to the hospital every day after school to visit her sick father. She had always told me how extremely painful it had been to watch his body become emaciated as the cancer advanced day by day and finally took its toll. I then pictured my mother in the hospital, thirty years later, undergoing all the physically and mentally debilitating tests, and having to worry about her husband and her children at the same time. I suddenly felt incredibly ashamed at how immature I had been acting over my own affliction. I gathered my thoughts and instead of sulking or complaining, helped coach my team to victory.

I am very happy to say that my mother is now feeling much better and her periodic checkups and C.A.T. scans have indicated that she is doing very well. Nevertheless, her strength and courage will remain a constant source of inspiration to me. I feel confident to greet the future with a resolute sense of hope and optimism.

The majority of the suggestions for this essay highlight the danger inherent in relying on an overly poignant topic, in this case the writer's mother's bout with cancer. Part of why the reactions to this piece are so passionate (and why there are so many of them) is because had the applicant just taken a slightly different approach, he could have had a powerful and touching composition on his hands. It is always frustrating when a piece with so much potential misses the mark. In this case, the material and emotion are all there. Had he spent more time and written with more sincerity, this essay might have been a real winner.

I wish this kid had started the essay with his mom sitting him down in the rocking chair. That would have been a powerful beginning. In general, using the introduction of the essay to paint a scene or mood can be very effective.

He should begin with the most simple and striking sentence possible, such as "On January 5, 1995, my mother learned that she had cancer." Use real times and exact places. Let the most dramatic point go where it belongs, at the end of the sentence--also known as the stress point.

Because this topic is so personal, I yearn to know more about the student's reaction to his mom's cancer, how he and his family dealt with it over time. As written, things just seem a bit too tidy.

The author describes a valuable life lesson, but I find the writing style to be artificial and a bit maudlin. I imagine he resorted to the thesaurus more than once.

The writer tells us a sad story about his mother with cancer and how he has strived to do his best because of what his mother has been through. The topic can be a tear jerker, but this essay lacked the depth and richness that other essays with similar topics possess.

The experience obviously impacted the student very much. But what students do not realize is that they do not have to share such personal issues within the confines of a college essay.

I don't believe the "epiphany" in the conclusion as it's described. It's too easy and convenient to be believable. He begins his description with "For instance," which negates almost everything that follows. When he sees his mother in his mind, he "instantly" thinks this and "suddenly" does that, and finally "helped coach his team to victory." He "coached" the team. "Cheered" maybe. "Coached?" No way.

This essay smells of contrivance. Yes, his mother's bout with cancer affected him. Just not in the way he wants me to believe. This is the "lasting sanctifying effect" essay. Look at what the writer is actually saying (using his own words): I used to be "absorbed in my own anguish" and "lament" my bouts with adversity. But, "instantly" or "suddenly" (take your pick), I became a young man "confident to greet the future with a resolute sense of hope and optimism." Why not say, "I used to be a thoughtless, immature teenager. My mother got cancer. I'm now a thoughtful, mature adult. You should admit me to _____." His essay is no less subtle.

Return to: Lesson One: College Essay Questions

Here are the facts and trivia that people are buzzing about.

Tips for the College Interview Question "Who Has Most Influenced You?"

• Ph.D., English, University of Pennsylvania
• M.A., English, University of Pennsylvania
• B.S., Materials Science & Engineering and Literature, MIT

Interview questions about influential people can come in many variations: Who is your hero? Who deserves the most credit for your success? Who is your role model? In short, the question is asking you to discuss someone you admire.

Interview Tips: Who Has Most Influenced you?

• You don't have to be creative with this question. Just be honest and thoughtful. Family members, teachers, and friends are all fine answers.
• Be careful with polarizing political figures since it can a challenge for your interviewer to be entirely unbiased.
• Don't try to impress your interviewer with historical figures like Abraham Lincoln or Mother Theresa.
• Focus on a human, not a pet.

Good Interview Answers About an Influential Person

So, who should you name as a hero or influential person? Speak from the heart here. There is no right answer other than a sincere answer. Also, realize that unlike a "hero," an influential person isn't always a positive example. You may have grown and changed as a result of someone whose mistakes or inappropriate behavior taught you what  not  to do with your life. Answers to the question can draw from lots of different options:

• A Family Member— For most of us, parents and siblings have a huge impact on our lives. Answering with a family member is fairly predictable but also perfectly appropriate. Just make sure you can articulate the specific ways in which the family member influenced you.
• A Teacher— Is there a particular teacher who got you excited about learning, a subject area, or continuing your education? Since you're interviewing in an effort to continue your education, focusing on an educator can be an excellent choice.
• A Friend— For good or bad, your close friends have a huge influence on your decisions and behavior. Do you have a close friend who has helped you succeed in high school? Or, depending on how the question is worded, do you have a friend who influenced you in a negative way?
• A Coach— Coaches often teach us leadership, responsibility and teamwork. As long as your response doesn't reveal that you value athletics more than academics, a coach can be a great choice. Try to articulate how your coach has helped you succeed in areas other than sports.
• A Community Member— Do you have a mentor in the church or some other community organization? Community members often teach us to think outside of the narrow sphere of our families.

Bad Interview Answers

This question about an influential person, like many common interview questions , is not difficult, but you do want to think about it for a few minutes before your interview. A few answers can fall flat, so think twice before giving responses such as these:

• Myself— In truth, you probably are the person who is most responsible for your success. You may, in fact, be self-reliant with no real heroes. However, if you answer this question with yourself you will sound self-absorbed and selfish. Colleges want to admit students who help each other out and work as a community. They don't want solitary egotists.
• Gandhi or Abe Lincoln— If you have great respect for an admirable historical figure, that's wonderful. Such answers, however, can come across sounding like you're trying to make a good impression, not like you're answering the question sincerely. In your day-to-day life of classes, extracurricular activities , tests, and relationships, is Abe Lincoln really influencing your behavior? If he is, fine. If not, rethink your answer and work to speak from the heart.
• Donald Trump or Barack Obama— Here, as with the example above, is the president (or Senator, Governor, etc.) really influencing and guiding you in your day-to-day life? This question has an added danger. Your interviewer will do his or her best to be unbiased, but interviewers are human. If you name a Democrat and your interviewer is a staunch Republican, your response could create a subconscious strike against you in the interviewer's mind. Both Trump and Obama can be polarizing figures, so be aware of the inherent risks before choosing a prominent political figure for your response.
• God— At a college with a religious affiliation, God could be a fine answer. At many colleges, however, the answer is a crap shoot. The admissions officer may admire your faith. Some interviewers, however, will be skeptical of students who attribute their successes to prayer and divine guidance rather than commitment and hard work. That said, you certainly don't need to shy away from your faith in your interview, and a priest or rabbi can be an excellent choice for this interview question.
• My Dog— Fido may be a great pet who has taught you responsibility and unconditional love, but keep your answer in the world of humans. Colleges are made up of humans.

A Final Word

Whatever your answer, bring the influential person to life for your interviewer. Avoid vague generalities. As with an admissions essay on an influential person , you'll want to provide colorful, entertaining, and specific examples of how the person has influenced you. Also, keep in mind that a strong answer provides a window into your life and personality, not just the admirable qualities of the influential person. The ultimate goal of the interviewer is to get to know you better, not the person you admire.

Finally, make sure you dress appropriately and avoid common interview mistakes . College interviews are generally congenial exchanges of information, so try to relax and have a good time chatting with the college representative.

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Important Person in My Life, Essay Example

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Grenada was my birthplace and my home while I was a preschooler. My father died in a boating accident when I was three. My mother decided to migrate to the United States, where we soon lived in New York. A year later, my mother remarried a man who gave me a new name, a stable place to live, and made it possible for me to become a United States citizen. He is the only father I have ever known.

It was tough growing up in Brooklyn. My new father was Jamaican, and, like my mother and I, he too had come to America to lead a better life. He grabbed every opportunity that came his way. My early life was hard. We were poor. My new father had strict rules. I rebelled. One of the things he watched most closely was my friendships. When I got involved with people who did not share his values, my Dad would step in.

My stepfather worked, saved, and made it possible for us to move out of the projects to a new home in a better, safer neighborhood. I laugh when I think about it now, because we were the first African-Americans on our block. My Dad exposed me to diversity, and I thank him for that. If he had not been in my life, guiding me in positive paths and correcting me from negative decisions, I have no idea where I would be today.

My parents’ marriage weakened over the years. One day my mother moved out while I was at school and my father was at work. All I knew to do when I got home that afternoon was to sweep the plies of trash that she had left on the floor. I remember waiting for someone to come and explain to me what was going on. At that moment, I felt quite helpless and alone.

When my stepfather arrived, he and I fell into full-scale shock as we dealt with the reality of it all. Mother was gone, and she was not coming back. We sat on the floor. We talked for hours. We cried. We laughed some. I was scared. I was anxious about the future. It took some time, but he and I regrouped. We shopped for new furniture. We made new memories, but the shock of Mother’s departure turned to an anger that stayed with me for a long, long time. When your Mother has abandoned you, it hurts deeply. There are no words for it, really.

The years rolled along. When I was a senior in high school, Dad and I knew that I had a big decision to make. Was I going to attend college? Was I going to go to work fulltime? Was I going to join the military? Dad and I, together, finally decided that it would be best for me to join the Army. The recruitment officer had told me that the Army would pay for my education. I cannot emphasize enough how big of a decision that was for me. I could not have made it alone, without Dad’s help. I was about to be away from home for the first time. I enlisted for three years. Twenty-one years later, I retired as a Senior Non-Commissioned Officer.

Nothing I have ever accomplished in my life would have ever been possible without the tough love that my Father gave to me. He kept me going in the right direction as he could, and he got me back on track when I made mistakes. As the time drew near for my retirement, I sent out invitations. Dad’s was the first one I mailed. Quickly, he responded that he would be there. After more than two decades of being away from him and two military conflicts abroad, I still received support and advice from him almost daily.

Dad came to the ceremony holding a special gift. In his big Black hands, he had a copy of my 1986 graduation from Basic Training. The intent of this gift was to remind me that he had encouraged me throughout my entire career. He handed it to me. Our eyes met. Not one word passed between us. For those few seconds, time stood still. I remembered the little lost boy who received reassurance from an equally uncertain man that everything was going to be all right if we stuck together. He was right, and I love him.

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Home — Essay Samples — Life — Influential Person — Impactful Person in My Life

Impactful Person in My Life

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Published: Jan 25, 2024

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Follow YES! For Teachers

Eight brilliant student essays on what matters most in life.

Read winning essays from our spring 2019 student writing contest.

For the spring 2019 student writing contest, we invited students to read the YES! article “Three Things That Matter Most in Youth and Old Age” by Nancy Hill. Like the author, students interviewed someone significantly older than them about the three things that matter most in life. Students then wrote about what they learned, and about how their interviewees’ answers compare to their own top priorities.

The Winners

From the hundreds of essays written, these eight were chosen as winners. Be sure to read the author’s response to the essay winners and the literary gems that caught our eye. Plus, we share an essay from teacher Charles Sanderson, who also responded to the writing prompt.

Middle School Winner: Rory Leyva

High School Winner:  Praethong Klomsum

University Winner:  Emily Greenbaum

Powerful Voice Winner: Amanda Schwaben

Powerful Voice Winner: Antonia Mills

Powerful Voice Winner:  Isaac Ziemba

Powerful Voice Winner: Lily Hersch

“Tell It Like It Is” Interview Winner: Jonas Buckner

From the Author: Response to Student Winners

Literary Gems

From A Teacher: Charles Sanderson

From the Author: Response to Charles Sanderson

Middle School Winner

Village Home Education Resource Center, Portland, Ore.

The Lessons Of Mortality 

“As I’ve aged, things that are more personal to me have become somewhat less important. Perhaps I’ve become less self-centered with the awareness of mortality, how short one person’s life is.” This is how my 72-year-old grandma believes her values have changed over the course of her life. Even though I am only 12 years old, I know my life won’t last forever, and someday I, too, will reflect on my past decisions. We were all born to exist and eventually die, so we have evolved to value things in the context of mortality.

One of the ways I feel most alive is when I play roller derby. I started playing for the Rose City Rollers Juniors two years ago, and this year, I made the Rosebud All-Stars travel team. Roller derby is a fast-paced, full-contact sport. The physicality and intense training make me feel in control of and present in my body.

My roller derby team is like a second family to me. Adolescence is complicated. We understand each other in ways no one else can. I love my friends more than I love almost anything else. My family would have been higher on my list a few years ago, but as I’ve aged it has been important to make my own social connections.

Music led me to roller derby.  I started out jam skating at the roller rink. Jam skating is all about feeling the music. It integrates gymnastics, breakdancing, figure skating, and modern dance with R & B and hip hop music. When I was younger, I once lay down in the DJ booth at the roller rink and was lulled to sleep by the drawl of wheels rolling in rhythm and people talking about the things they came there to escape. Sometimes, I go up on the roof of my house at night to listen to music and feel the wind rustle my hair. These unique sensations make me feel safe like nothing else ever has.

My grandma tells me, “Being close with family and friends is the most important thing because I haven’t

always had that.” When my grandma was two years old, her father died. Her mother became depressed and moved around a lot, which made it hard for my grandma to make friends. Once my grandma went to college, she made lots of friends. She met my grandfather, Joaquin Leyva when she was working as a park ranger and he was a surfer. They bought two acres of land on the edge of a redwood forest and had a son and a daughter. My grandma created a stable family that was missing throughout her early life.

My grandma is motivated to maintain good health so she can be there for her family. I can relate because I have to be fit and strong for my team. Since she lost my grandfather to cancer, she realizes how lucky she is to have a functional body and no life-threatening illnesses. My grandma tries to eat well and exercise, but she still struggles with depression. Over time, she has learned that reaching out to others is essential to her emotional wellbeing.  

Caring for the earth is also a priority for my grandma I’ve been lucky to learn from my grandma. She’s taught me how to hunt for fossils in the desert and find shells on the beach. Although my grandma grew up with no access to the wilderness, she admired the green open areas of urban cemeteries. In college, she studied geology and hiked in the High Sierras. For years, she’s been an advocate for conserving wildlife habitat and open spaces.

Our priorities may seem different, but it all comes down to basic human needs. We all desire a purpose, strive to be happy, and need to be loved. Like Nancy Hill says in the YES! Magazine article “Three Things That Matter Most in Youth and Old Age,” it can be hard to decipher what is important in life. I believe that the constant search for satisfaction and meaning is the only thing everyone has in common. We all want to know what matters, and we walk around this confusing world trying to find it. The lessons I’ve learned from my grandma about forging connections, caring for my body, and getting out in the world inspire me to live my life my way before it’s gone.

Rory Leyva is a seventh-grader from Portland, Oregon. Rory skates for the Rosebuds All-Stars roller derby team. She loves listening to music and hanging out with her friends.

High School Winner

Praethong Klomsum

  Santa Monica High School, Santa Monica, Calif.

Time Only Moves Forward

Sandra Hernandez gazed at the tiny house while her mother’s gentle hands caressed her shoulders. It wasn’t much, especially for a family of five. This was 1960, she was 17, and her family had just moved to Culver City.

Flash forward to 2019. Sandra sits in a rocking chair, knitting a blanket for her latest grandchild, in the same living room. Sandra remembers working hard to feed her eight children. She took many different jobs before settling behind the cash register at a Japanese restaurant called Magos. “It was a struggle, and my husband Augustine, was planning to join the military at that time, too.”

In the YES! Magazine article “Three Things That Matter Most in Youth and Old Age,” author Nancy Hill states that one of the most important things is “…connecting with others in general, but in particular with those who have lived long lives.” Sandra feels similarly. It’s been hard for Sandra to keep in contact with her family, which leaves her downhearted some days. “It’s important to maintain that connection you have with your family, not just next-door neighbors you talk to once a month.”

Despite her age, Sandra is a daring woman. Taking risks is important to her, and she’ll try anything—from skydiving to hiking. Sandra has some regrets from the past, but nowadays, she doesn’t wonder about the “would have, could have, should haves.” She just goes for it with a smile.

Sandra thought harder about her last important thing, the blue and green blanket now finished and covering

her lap. “I’ve definitely lived a longer life than most, and maybe this is just wishful thinking, but I hope I can see the day my great-grandchildren are born.” She’s laughing, but her eyes look beyond what’s in front of her. Maybe she is reminiscing about the day she held her son for the first time or thinking of her grandchildren becoming parents. I thank her for her time and she waves it off, offering me a styrofoam cup of lemonade before I head for the bus station.

The bus is sparsely filled. A voice in my head reminds me to finish my 10-page history research paper before spring break. I take a window seat and pull out my phone and earbuds. My playlist is already on shuffle, and I push away thoughts of that dreaded paper. Music has been a constant in my life—from singing my lungs out in kindergarten to Barbie’s “I Need To Know,” to jamming out to Taylor Swift’s “Blank Space” in sixth grade, to BTS’s “Intro: Never Mind” comforting me when I’m at my lowest. Music is my magic shop, a place where I can trade away my fears for calm.

I’ve always been afraid of doing something wrong—not finishing my homework or getting a C when I can do better. When I was 8, I wanted to be like the big kids. As I got older, I realized that I had exchanged my childhood longing for the 48 pack of crayons for bigger problems, balancing grades, a social life, and mental stability—all at once. I’m going to get older whether I like it or not, so there’s no point forcing myself to grow up faster.  I’m learning to live in the moment.

The bus is approaching my apartment, where I know my comfy bed and a home-cooked meal from my mom are waiting. My mom is hard-working, confident, and very stubborn. I admire her strength of character. She always keeps me in line, even through my rebellious phases.

My best friend sends me a text—an update on how broken her laptop is. She is annoying. She says the stupidest things and loves to state the obvious. Despite this, she never fails to make me laugh until my cheeks feel numb. The rest of my friends are like that too—loud, talkative, and always brightening my day. Even friends I stopped talking to have a place in my heart. Recently, I’ve tried to reconnect with some of them. This interview was possible because a close friend from sixth grade offered to introduce me to Sandra, her grandmother.  

I’m decades younger than Sandra, so my view of what’s important isn’t as broad as hers, but we share similar values, with friends and family at the top. I have a feeling that when Sandra was my age, she used to love music, too. Maybe in a few decades, when I’m sitting in my rocking chair, drawing in my sketchbook, I’ll remember this article and think back fondly to the days when life was simple.

Praethong Klomsum is a tenth-grader at Santa Monica High School in Santa Monica, California.  Praethong has a strange affinity for rhyme games and is involved in her school’s dance team. She enjoys drawing and writing, hoping to impact people willing to listen to her thoughts and ideas.

University Winner

Emily Greenbaum

Kent State University, Kent, Ohio 

The Life-Long War

Every morning we open our eyes, ready for a new day. Some immediately turn to their phones and social media. Others work out or do yoga. For a certain person, a deep breath and the morning sun ground him. He hears the clink-clank of his wife cooking low sodium meat for breakfast—doctor’s orders! He sees that the other side of the bed is already made, the dogs are no longer in the room, and his clothes are set out nicely on the loveseat.

Today, though, this man wakes up to something different: faded cream walls and jello. This person, my hero, is Master Chief Petty Officer Roger James.

I pulled up my chair close to Roger’s vinyl recliner so I could hear him above the noise of the beeping dialysis machine. I noticed Roger would occasionally glance at his wife Susan with sparkly eyes when he would recall memories of the war or their grandkids. He looked at Susan like she walked on water.

Roger James served his country for thirty years. Now, he has enlisted in another type of war. He suffers from a rare blood cancer—the result of the wars he fought in. Roger has good and bad days. He says, “The good outweighs the bad, so I have to be grateful for what I have on those good days.”

When Roger retired, he never thought the effects of the war would reach him. The once shallow wrinkles upon his face become deeper, as he tells me, “It’s just cancer. Others are suffering from far worse. I know I’ll make it.”

Like Nancy Hill did in her article “Three Things that Matter Most in Youth and Old Age,” I asked Roger, “What are the three most important things to you?” James answered, “My wife Susan, my grandkids, and church.”

Roger and Susan served together in the Vietnam war. She was a nurse who treated his cuts and scrapes one day. I asked Roger why he chose Susan. He said, “Susan told me to look at her while she cleaned me up. ‘This may sting, but don’t be a baby.’ When I looked into her eyes, I felt like she was looking into my soul, and I didn’t want her to leave. She gave me this sense of home. Every day I wake up, she makes me feel the same way, and I fall in love with her all over again.”

Roger and Susan have two kids and four grandkids, with great-grandchildren on the way. He claims that his grandkids give him the youth that he feels slowly escaping from his body. This adoring grandfather is energized by coaching t-ball and playing evening card games with the grandkids.

The last thing on his list was church. His oldest daughter married a pastor. Together they founded a church. Roger said that the connection between his faith and family is important to him because it gave him a reason to want to live again. I learned from Roger that when you’re across the ocean, you tend to lose sight of why you are fighting. When Roger returned, he didn’t have the will to live. Most days were a struggle, adapting back into a society that lacked empathy for the injuries, pain, and psychological trauma carried by returning soldiers. Church changed that for Roger and gave him a sense of purpose.

When I began this project, my attitude was to just get the assignment done. I never thought I could view Master Chief Petty Officer Roger James as more than a role model, but he definitely changed my mind. It’s as if Roger magically lit a fire inside of me and showed me where one’s true passions should lie. I see our similarities and embrace our differences. We both value family and our own connections to home—his home being church and mine being where I can breathe the easiest.

Master Chief Petty Officer Roger James has shown me how to appreciate what I have around me and that every once in a while, I should step back and stop to smell the roses. As we concluded the interview, amidst squeaky clogs and the stale smell of bleach and bedpans, I looked to Roger, his kind, tired eyes, and weathered skin, with a deeper sense of admiration, knowing that his values still run true, no matter what he faces.

Emily Greenbaum is a senior at Kent State University, graduating with a major in Conflict Management and minor in Geography. Emily hopes to use her major to facilitate better conversations, while she works in the Washington, D.C. area.  

Powerful Voice Winner

Amanda Schwaben

Wise Words From Winnie the Pooh

As I read through Nancy Hill’s article “Three Things That Matter Most in Youth and Old Age,” I was comforted by the similar responses given by both children and older adults. The emphasis participants placed on family, social connections, and love was not only heartwarming but hopeful. While the messages in the article filled me with warmth, I felt a twinge of guilt building within me. As a twenty-one-year-old college student weeks from graduation, I honestly don’t think much about the most important things in life. But if I was asked, I would most likely say family, friendship, and love. As much as I hate to admit it, I often find myself obsessing over achieving a successful career and finding a way to “save the world.”

A few weeks ago, I was at my family home watching the new Winnie the Pooh movie Christopher Robin with my mom and younger sister. Well, I wasn’t really watching. I had my laptop in front of me, and I was aggressively typing up an assignment. Halfway through the movie, I realized I left my laptop charger in my car. I walked outside into the brisk March air. Instinctively, I looked up. The sky was perfectly clear, revealing a beautiful array of stars. When my twin sister and I were in high school, we would always take a moment to look up at the sparkling night sky before we came into the house after soccer practice.

I think that was the last time I stood in my driveway and gazed at the stars. I did not get the laptop charger from

my car; instead, I turned around and went back inside. I shut my laptop and watched the rest of the movie. My twin sister loves Winnie the Pooh. So much so that my parents got her a stuffed animal version of him for Christmas. While I thought he was adorable and a token of my childhood, I did not really understand her obsession. However, it was clear to me after watching the movie. Winnie the Pooh certainly had it figured out. He believed that the simple things in life were the most important: love, friendship, and having fun.

I thought about asking my mom right then what the three most important things were to her, but I decided not to. I just wanted to be in the moment. I didn’t want to be doing homework. It was a beautiful thing to just sit there and be present with my mom and sister.

I did ask her, though, a couple of weeks later. Her response was simple.  All she said was family, health, and happiness. When she told me this, I imagined Winnie the Pooh smiling. I think he would be proud of that answer.

I was not surprised by my mom’s reply. It suited her perfectly. I wonder if we relearn what is most important when we grow older—that the pressure to be successful subsides. Could it be that valuing family, health, and happiness is what ends up saving the world?

Amanda Schwaben is a graduating senior from Kent State University with a major in Applied Conflict Management. Amanda also has minors in Psychology and Interpersonal Communication. She hopes to further her education and focus on how museums not only preserve history but also promote peace.

Antonia Mills

Rachel Carson High School, Brooklyn, N.Y. 

Decoding The Butterfly

For a caterpillar to become a butterfly, it must first digest itself. The caterpillar, overwhelmed by accumulating tissue, splits its skin open to form its protective shell, the chrysalis, and later becomes the pretty butterfly we all know and love. There are approximately 20,000 species of butterflies, and just as every species is different, so is the life of every butterfly. No matter how long and hard a caterpillar has strived to become the colorful and vibrant butterfly that we marvel at on a warm spring day, it does not live a long life. A butterfly can live for a year, six months, two weeks, and even as little as twenty-four hours.

I have often wondered if butterflies live long enough to be blissful of blue skies. Do they take time to feast upon the sweet nectar they crave, midst their hustling life of pollinating pretty flowers? Do they ever take a lull in their itineraries, or are they always rushing towards completing their four-stage metamorphosis? Has anyone asked the butterfly, “Who are you?” instead of “What are you”? Or, How did you get here, on my windowsill?  How did you become ‘you’?

Humans are similar to butterflies. As a caterpillar

Suzanna Ruby/Getty Images

becomes a butterfly, a baby becomes an elder. As a butterfly soars through summer skies, an elder watches summer skies turn into cold winter nights and back toward summer skies yet again.  And as a butterfly flits slowly by the porch light, a passerby makes assumptions about the wrinkled, slow-moving elder, who is sturdier than he appears. These creatures are not seen for who they are—who they were—because people have “better things to do” or they are too busy to ask, “How are you”?

Our world can be a lonely place. Pressured by expectations, haunted by dreams, overpowered by weakness, and drowned out by lofty goals, we tend to forget ourselves—and others. Rather than hang onto the strands of our diminishing sanity, we might benefit from listening to our elders. Many elders have experienced setbacks in their young lives. Overcoming hardship and surviving to old age is wisdom that they carry.  We can learn from them—and can even make their day by taking the time to hear their stories.  

Nancy Hill, who wrote the YES! Magazine article “Three Things That Matter Most in Youth and Old Age,” was right: “We live among such remarkable people, yet few know their stories.” I know a lot about my grandmother’s life, and it isn’t as serene as my own. My grandmother, Liza, who cooks every day, bakes bread on holidays for our neighbors, brings gifts to her doctor out of the kindness of her heart, and makes conversation with neighbors even though she is isn’t fluent in English—Russian is her first language—has struggled all her life. Her mother, Anna, a single parent, had tuberculosis, and even though she had an inviolable spirit, she was too frail to care for four children. She passed away when my grandmother was sixteen, so my grandmother and her siblings spent most of their childhood in an orphanage. My grandmother got married at nineteen to my grandfather, Pinhas. He was a man who loved her more than he loved himself and was a godsend to every person he met. Liza was—and still is—always quick to do what was best for others, even if that person treated her poorly. My grandmother has lived with physical pain all her life, yet she pushed herself to climb heights that she wasn’t ready for. Against all odds, she has lived to tell her story to people who are willing to listen. And I always am.

I asked my grandmother, “What are three things most important to you?” Her answer was one that I already expected: One, for everyone to live long healthy lives. Two, for you to graduate from college. Three, for you to always remember that I love you.

What may be basic to you means the world to my grandmother. She just wants what she never had the chance to experience: a healthy life, an education, and the chance to express love to the people she values. The three things that matter most to her may be so simple and ordinary to outsiders, but to her, it is so much more. And who could take that away?

Antonia Mills was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York and attends Rachel Carson High School.  Antonia enjoys creative activities, including writing, painting, reading, and baking. She hopes to pursue culinary arts professionally in the future. One of her favorite quotes is, “When you start seeing your worth, you’ll find it harder to stay around people who don’t.” -Emily S.P.  

  Powerful Voice Winner

   Isaac Ziemba

Odyssey Multiage Program, Bainbridge Island, Wash. 

This Former State Trooper Has His Priorities Straight: Family, Climate Change, and Integrity

I have a personal connection to people who served in the military and first responders. My uncle is a first responder on the island I live on, and my dad retired from the Navy. That was what made a man named Glen Tyrell, a state trooper for 25 years, 2 months and 9 days, my first choice to interview about what three things matter in life. In the YES! Magazine article “The Three Things That Matter Most in Youth and Old Age,” I learned that old and young people have a great deal in common. I know that’s true because Glen and I care about a lot of the same things.

For Glen, family is at the top of his list of important things. “My wife was, and is, always there for me. My daughters mean the world to me, too, but Penny is my partner,” Glen said. I can understand why Glen’s wife is so important to him. She’s family. Family will always be there for you.

Glen loves his family, and so do I with all my heart. My dad especially means the world to me. He is my top supporter and tells me that if I need help, just “say the word.” When we are fishing or crabbing, sometimes I

think, what if these times were erased from my memory? I wouldn’t be able to describe the horrible feeling that would rush through my mind, and I’m sure that Glen would feel the same about his wife.

My uncle once told me that the world is always going to change over time. It’s what the world has turned out to be that worries me. Both Glen and I are extremely concerned about climate change and the effect that rising temperatures have on animals and their habitats. We’re driving them to extinction. Some people might say, “So what? Animals don’t pay taxes or do any of the things we do.” What we are doing to them is like the Black Death times 100.

Glen is also frustrated by how much plastic we use and where it ends up. He would be shocked that an explorer recently dived to the deepest part of the Pacific Ocean—seven miles!— and discovered a plastic bag and candy wrappers. Glen told me that, unfortunately, his generation did the damage and my generation is here to fix it. We need to take better care of Earth because if we don’t, we, as a species, will have failed.

Both Glen and I care deeply for our families and the earth, but for our third important value, I chose education and Glen chose integrity. My education is super important to me because without it, I would be a blank slate. I wouldn’t know how to figure out problems. I wouldn’t be able to tell right from wrong. I wouldn’t understand the Bill of Rights. I would be stuck. Everyone should be able to go to school, no matter where they’re from or who they are.  It makes me angry and sad to think that some people, especially girls, get shot because they are trying to go to school. I understand how lucky I am.

Integrity is sacred to Glen—I could tell by the serious tone of Glen’s voice when he told me that integrity was the code he lived by as a former state trooper. He knew that he had the power to change a person’s life, and he was committed to not abusing that power.  When Glen put someone under arrest—and my uncle says the same—his judgment and integrity were paramount. “Either you’re right or you’re wrong.” You can’t judge a person by what you think, you can only judge a person from what you know.”

I learned many things about Glen and what’s important in life, but there is one thing that stands out—something Glen always does and does well. Glen helps people. He did it as a state trooper, and he does it in our school, where he works on construction projects. Glen told me that he believes that our most powerful tools are writing and listening to others. I think those tools are important, too, but I also believe there are other tools to help solve many of our problems and create a better future: to be compassionate, to create caring relationships, and to help others. Just like Glen Tyrell does each and every day.

Isaac Ziemba is in seventh grade at the Odyssey Multiage Program on a small island called Bainbridge near Seattle, Washington. Isaac’s favorite subject in school is history because he has always been interested in how the past affects the future. In his spare time, you can find Isaac hunting for crab with his Dad, looking for artifacts around his house with his metal detector, and having fun with his younger cousin, Conner.     

Lily Hersch

 The Crest Academy, Salida, Colo.

The Phone Call

Dear Grandpa,

In my short span of life—12 years so far—you’ve taught me a lot of important life lessons that I’ll always have with me. Some of the values I talk about in this writing I’ve learned from you.

Dedicated to my Gramps.

In the YES! Magazine article “Three Things That Matter Most in Youth and Old Age,” author and photographer Nancy Hill asked people to name the three things that mattered most to them. After reading the essay prompt for the article, I immediately knew who I wanted to interview: my grandpa Gil.      

My grandpa was born on January 25, 1942. He lived in a minuscule tenement in The Bronx with his mother,

father, and brother. His father wasn’t around much, and, when he was, he was reticent and would snap occasionally, revealing his constrained mental pain. My grandpa says this happened because my great grandfather did not have a father figure in his life. His mother was a classy, sharp lady who was the head secretary at a local police district station. My grandpa and his brother Larry did not care for each other. Gramps said he was very close to his mother, and Larry wasn’t. Perhaps Larry was envious for what he didn’t have.

Decades after little to no communication with his brother, my grandpa decided to spontaneously visit him in Florida, where he resided with his wife. Larry was taken aback at the sudden reappearance of his brother and told him to leave. Since then, the two brothers have not been in contact. My grandpa doesn’t even know if Larry is alive.         

My grandpa is now a retired lawyer, married to my wonderful grandma, and living in a pretty house with an ugly dog named BoBo.

So, what’s important to you, Gramps?

He paused a second, then replied, “Family, kindness, and empathy.”

“Family, because it’s my family. It’s important to stay connected with your family. My brother, father, and I never connected in the way I wished, and sometimes I contemplated what could’ve happened.  But you can’t change the past. So, that’s why family’s important to me.”

Family will always be on my “Top Three Most Important Things” list, too. I can’t imagine not having my older brother, Zeke, or my grandma in my life. I wonder how other kids feel about their families? How do kids trapped and separated from their families at the U.S.-Mexico border feel?  What about orphans? Too many questions, too few answers.

“Kindness, because growing up and not seeing a lot of kindness made me realize how important it is to have that in the world. Kindness makes the world go round.”

What is kindness? Helping my brother, Eli, who has Down syndrome, get ready in the morning? Telling people what they need to hear, rather than what they want to hear? Maybe, for now, I’ll put wisdom, not kindness, on my list.

“Empathy, because of all the killings and shootings [in this country.] We also need to care for people—people who are not living in as good circumstances as I have. Donald Trump and other people I’ve met have no empathy. Empathy is very important.”

Empathy is something I’ve felt my whole life. It’ll always be important to me like it is important to my grandpa. My grandpa shows his empathy when he works with disabled children. Once he took a disabled child to a Christina Aguilera concert because that child was too young to go by himself. The moments I feel the most empathy are when Eli gets those looks from people. Seeing Eli wonder why people stare at him like he’s a freak makes me sad, and annoyed that they have the audacity to stare.

After this 2 minute and 36-second phone call, my grandpa has helped me define what’s most important to me at this time in my life: family, wisdom, and empathy. Although these things are important now, I realize they can change and most likely will.

When I’m an old woman, I envision myself scrambling through a stack of storage boxes and finding this paper. Perhaps after reading words from my 12-year-old self, I’ll ask myself “What’s important to me?”

Lily Hersch is a sixth-grader at Crest Academy in Salida, Colorado. Lily is an avid indoorsman, finding joy in competitive spelling, art, and of course, writing. She does not like Swiss cheese.

  “Tell It Like It Is” Interview Winner

Jonas Buckner

KIPP: Gaston College Preparatory, Gaston, N.C.

Lessons My Nana Taught Me

I walked into the house. In the other room, I heard my cousin screaming at his game. There were a lot of Pioneer Woman dishes everywhere. The room had the television on max volume. The fan in the other room was on. I didn’t know it yet, but I was about to learn something powerful.

I was in my Nana’s house, and when I walked in, she said, “Hey Monkey Butt.”

I said, “Hey Nana.”

Before the interview, I was talking to her about what I was gonna interview her on. Also, I had asked her why I might have wanted to interview her, and she responded with, “Because you love me, and I love you too.”

Now, it was time to start the interview. The first

question I asked was the main and most important question ever: “What three things matter most to you and you only?”

She thought of it very thoughtfully and responded with, “My grandchildren, my children, and my health.”

Then, I said, “OK, can you please tell me more about your health?”

She responded with, “My health is bad right now. I have heart problems, blood sugar, and that’s about it.” When she said it, she looked at me and smiled because she loved me and was happy I chose her to interview.

I replied with, “K um, why is it important to you?”

She smiled and said, “Why is it…Why is my health important? Well, because I want to live a long time and see my grandchildren grow up.”

I was scared when she said that, but she still smiled. I was so happy, and then I said, “Has your health always been important to you.”

She responded with “Nah.”

Then, I asked, “Do you happen to have a story to help me understand your reasoning?”

She said, “No, not really.”

Now we were getting into the next set of questions. I said, “Remember how you said that your grandchildren matter to you? Can you please tell me why they matter to you?”

Then, she responded with, “So I can spend time with them, play with them, and everything.”

Next, I asked the same question I did before: “Have you always loved your grandchildren?” 

She responded with, “Yes, they have always been important to me.”

Then, the next two questions I asked she had no response to at all. She was very happy until I asked, “Why do your children matter most to you?”

She had a frown on and responded, “My daughter Tammy died a long time ago.”

Then, at this point, the other questions were answered the same as the other ones. When I left to go home I was thinking about how her answers were similar to mine. She said health, and I care about my health a lot, and I didn’t say, but I wanted to. She also didn’t have answers for the last two questions on each thing, and I was like that too.

The lesson I learned was that no matter what, always keep pushing because even though my aunt or my Nana’s daughter died, she kept on pushing and loving everyone. I also learned that everything should matter to us. Once again, I chose to interview my Nana because she matters to me, and I know when she was younger she had a lot of things happen to her, so I wanted to know what she would say. The point I’m trying to make is that be grateful for what you have and what you have done in life.

Jonas Buckner is a sixth-grader at KIPP: Gaston College Preparatory in Gaston, North Carolina. Jonas’ favorite activities are drawing, writing, math, piano, and playing AltSpace VR. He found his passion for writing in fourth grade when he wrote a quick autobiography. Jonas hopes to become a horror writer someday.

From The Author: Responses to Student Winners

Dear Emily, Isaac, Antonia, Rory, Praethong, Amanda, Lily, and Jonas,

Your thought-provoking essays sent my head spinning. The more I read, the more impressed I was with the depth of thought, beauty of expression, and originality. It left me wondering just how to capture all of my reactions in a single letter. After multiple false starts, I’ve landed on this: I will stick to the theme of three most important things.

The three things I found most inspirational about your essays:

You listened.

You connected.

We live in troubled times. Tensions mount between countries, cultures, genders, religious beliefs, and generations. If we fail to find a way to understand each other, to see similarities between us, the future will be fraught with increased hostility.

You all took critical steps toward connecting with someone who might not value the same things you do by asking a person who is generations older than you what matters to them. Then, you listened to their answers. You saw connections between what is important to them and what is important to you. Many of you noted similarities, others wondered if your own list of the three most important things would change as you go through life. You all saw the validity of the responses you received and looked for reasons why your interviewees have come to value what they have.

It is through these things—asking, listening, and connecting—that we can begin to bridge the differences in experiences and beliefs that are currently dividing us.

Individual observations

Each one of you made observations that all of us, regardless of age or experience, would do well to keep in mind. I chose one quote from each person and trust those reading your essays will discover more valuable insights.

“Our priorities may seem different, but they come back to basic human needs. We all desire a purpose, strive to be happy, and work to make a positive impact.” 

“You can’t judge a person by what you think , you can only judge a person by what you know .”

Emily (referencing your interviewee, who is battling cancer):

“Master Chief Petty Officer James has shown me how to appreciate what I have around me.”

Lily (quoting your grandfather):

“Kindness makes the world go round.”

“Everything should matter to us.”

Praethong (quoting your interviewee, Sandra, on the importance of family):

“It’s important to always maintain that connection you have with each other, your family, not just next-door neighbors you talk to once a month.”

“I wonder if maybe we relearn what is most important when we grow older. That the pressure to be successful subsides and that valuing family, health, and happiness is what ends up saving the world.”

“Listen to what others have to say. Listen to the people who have already experienced hardship. You will learn from them and you can even make their day by giving them a chance to voice their thoughts.”

I end this letter to you with the hope that you never stop asking others what is most important to them and that you to continue to take time to reflect on what matters most to you…and why. May you never stop asking, listening, and connecting with others, especially those who may seem to be unlike you. Keep writing, and keep sharing your thoughts and observations with others, for your ideas are awe-inspiring.

I also want to thank the more than 1,000 students who submitted essays. Together, by sharing what’s important to us with others, especially those who may believe or act differently, we can fill the world with joy, peace, beauty, and love.

We received many outstanding essays for the Winter 2019 Student Writing Competition. Though not every participant can win the contest, we’d like to share some excerpts that caught our eye:

Whether it is a painting on a milky canvas with watercolors or pasting photos onto a scrapbook with her granddaughters, it is always a piece of artwork to her. She values the things in life that keep her in the moment, while still exploring things she may not have initially thought would bring her joy.

—Ondine Grant-Krasno, Immaculate Heart Middle School, Los Angeles, Calif.

“Ganas”… It means “desire” in Spanish. My ganas is fueled by my family’s belief in me. I cannot and will not fail them. 

—Adan Rios, Lane Community College, Eugene, Ore.

I hope when I grow up I can have the love for my kids like my grandma has for her kids. She makes being a mother even more of a beautiful thing than it already is.

—Ashley Shaw, Columbus City Prep School for Girls, Grove City, Ohio

You become a collage of little pieces of your friends and family. They also encourage you to be the best you can be. They lift you up onto the seat of your bike, they give you the first push, and they don’t hesitate to remind you that everything will be alright when you fall off and scrape your knee.

— Cecilia Stanton, Bellafonte Area Middle School, Bellafonte, Pa.

Without good friends, I wouldn’t know what I would do to endure the brutal machine of public education.

—Kenneth Jenkins, Garrison Middle School, Walla Walla, Wash.

My dog, as ridiculous as it may seem, is a beautiful example of what we all should aspire to be. We should live in the moment, not stress, and make it our goal to lift someone’s spirits, even just a little.

—Kate Garland, Immaculate Heart Middle School, Los Angeles, Calif. 

I strongly hope that every child can spare more time to accompany their elderly parents when they are struggling, and moving forward, and give them more care and patience. so as to truly achieve the goal of “you accompany me to grow up, and I will accompany you to grow old.”

—Taiyi Li, Lane Community College, Eugene, Ore.

I have three cats, and they are my brothers and sisters. We share a special bond that I think would not be possible if they were human. Since they do not speak English, we have to find other ways to connect, and I think that those other ways can be more powerful than language.

—Maya Dombroskie, Delta Program Middle School, Boulsburg, Pa.

We are made to love and be loved. To have joy and be relational. As a member of the loneliest generation in possibly all of history, I feel keenly aware of the need for relationships and authentic connection. That is why I decided to talk to my grandmother.

—Luke Steinkamp, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio

After interviewing my grandma and writing my paper, I realized that as we grow older, the things that are important to us don’t change, what changes is why those things are important to us.

—Emily Giffer, Our Lady Star of the Sea, Grosse Pointe Woods, Mich.

The media works to marginalize elders, often isolating them and their stories, and the wealth of knowledge that comes with their additional years of lived experiences. It also undermines the depth of children’s curiosity and capacity to learn and understand. When the worlds of elders and children collide, a classroom opens.

—Cristina Reitano, City College of San Francisco, San Francisco, Calif.

My values, although similar to my dad, only looked the same in the sense that a shadow is similar to the object it was cast on.

—Timofey Lisenskiy, Santa Monica High School, Santa Monica, Calif.

I can release my anger through writing without having to take it out on someone. I can escape and be a different person; it feels good not to be myself for a while. I can make up my own characters, so I can be someone different every day, and I think that’s pretty cool.

—Jasua Carillo, Wellness, Business, and Sports School, Woodburn, Ore. 

Notice how all the important things in his life are people: the people who he loves and who love him back. This is because “people are more important than things like money or possessions, and families are treasures,” says grandpa Pat. And I couldn’t agree more.

—Brody Hartley, Garrison Middle School, Walla Walla, Wash.  

Curiosity for other people’s stories could be what is needed to save the world.

—Noah Smith, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio

Peace to me is a calm lake without a ripple in sight. It’s a starry night with a gentle breeze that pillows upon your face. It’s the absence of arguments, fighting, or war. It’s when egos stop working against each other and finally begin working with each other. Peace is free from fear, anxiety, and depression. To me, peace is an important ingredient in the recipe of life.

—JP Bogan, Lane Community College, Eugene, Ore.

From A Teacher

Charles Sanderson

Wellness, Business and Sports School, Woodburn, Ore. 

The Birthday Gift

I’ve known Jodelle for years, watching her grow from a quiet and timid twelve-year-old to a young woman who just returned from India, where she played Kabaddi, a kind of rugby meets Red Rover.

One of my core beliefs as an educator is to show up for the things that matter to kids, so I go to their games, watch their plays, and eat the strawberry jam they make for the county fair. On this occasion, I met Jodelle at a robotics competition to watch her little sister Abby compete. Think Nerd Paradise: more hats made from traffic cones than Golden State Warrior ball caps, more unicorn capes than Nike swooshes, more fanny packs with Legos than clutches with eyeliner.

We started chatting as the crowd chanted and waved six-foot flags for teams like Mystic Biscuits, Shrek, and everyone’s nemesis The Mean Machine. Apparently, when it’s time for lunch at a robotics competition, they don’t mess around. The once-packed gym was left to Jodelle and me, and we kept talking and talking. I eventually asked her about the three things that matter to her most.

She told me about her mom, her sister, and her addiction—to horses. I’ve read enough of her writing to know that horses were her drug of choice and her mom and sister were her support network.

I learned about her desire to become a teacher and how hours at the barn with her horse, Heart, recharge her when she’s exhausted. At one point, our rambling conversation turned to a topic I’ve known far too well—her father.

Later that evening, I received an email from Jodelle, and she had a lot to say. One line really struck me: “In so many movies, I have seen a dad wanting to protect his daughter from the world, but I’ve only understood the scene cognitively. Yesterday, I felt it.”

Long ago, I decided that I would never be a dad. I had seen movies with fathers and daughters, and for me, those movies might as well have been Star Wars, ET, or Alien—worlds filled with creatures I’d never know. However, over the years, I’ve attended Jodelle’s parent-teacher conferences, gone to her graduation, and driven hours to watch her ride Heart at horse shows. Simply, I showed up. I listened. I supported.

Jodelle shared a series of dad poems, as well. I had read the first two poems in their original form when Jodelle was my student. The revised versions revealed new graphic details of her past. The third poem, however, was something entirely different.

She called the poems my early birthday present. When I read the lines “You are my father figure/Who I look up to/Without being looked down on,” I froze for an instant and had to reread the lines. After fifty years of consciously deciding not to be a dad, I was seen as one—and it felt incredible. Jodelle’s poem and recognition were two of the best presents I’ve ever received.

I  know that I was the language arts teacher that Jodelle needed at the time, but her poem revealed things I never knew I taught her: “My father figure/ Who taught me/ That listening is for observing the world/ That listening is for learning/Not obeying/Writing is for connecting/Healing with others.”

Teaching is often a thankless job, one that frequently brings more stress and anxiety than joy and hope. Stress erodes my patience. Anxiety curtails my ability to enter each interaction with every student with the grace they deserve. However, my time with Jodelle reminds me of the importance of leaning in and listening.

In the article “Three Things That Matter Most in Youth and Old Age” by Nancy Hill, she illuminates how we “live among such remarkable people, yet few know their stories.” For the last twenty years, I’ve had the privilege to work with countless of these “remarkable people,” and I’ve done my best to listen, and, in so doing, I hope my students will realize what I’ve known for a long time; their voices matter and deserve to be heard, but the voices of their tias and abuelitos and babushkas are equally important. When we take the time to listen, I believe we do more than affirm the humanity of others; we affirm our own as well.

Charles Sanderson has grounded his nineteen-year teaching career in a philosophy he describes as “Mirror, Window, Bridge.” Charles seeks to ensure all students see themselves, see others, and begin to learn the skills to build bridges of empathy, affinity, and understanding between communities and cultures that may seem vastly different. He proudly teaches at the Wellness, Business and Sports School in Woodburn, Oregon, a school and community that brings him joy and hope on a daily basis.

From   The Author: Response to Charles Sanderson

Dear Charles Sanderson,

Thank you for submitting an essay of your own in addition to encouraging your students to participate in YES! Magazine’s essay contest.

Your essay focused not on what is important to you, but rather on what is important to one of your students. You took what mattered to her to heart, acting upon it by going beyond the school day and creating a connection that has helped fill a huge gap in her life. Your efforts will affect her far beyond her years in school. It is clear that your involvement with this student is far from the only time you have gone beyond the classroom, and while you are not seeking personal acknowledgment, I cannot help but applaud you.

In an ideal world, every teacher, every adult, would show the same interest in our children and adolescents that you do. By taking the time to listen to what is important to our youth, we can help them grow into compassionate, caring adults, capable of making our world a better place.

Your concerted efforts to guide our youth to success not only as students but also as human beings is commendable. May others be inspired by your insights, concerns, and actions. You define excellence in teaching.

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Community • Well-Being

Who Is the Most Important Person In Your Life?

Dr. Corey Yeager

When you think of the most important person in your life, you might think of one of the people you’ve committed your life to. Maybe your spouse, or a child, or a longtime friend, a parent or grandparent.

But if a family member, friend, or colleague is the most important person in your life, and everything you do is for them, then where do you come in? Are you the second most important person? Third, fourth, fifth?

You are the most important person in your life. While you might think prioritizing yourself is selfish or arrogant, I hope to convince you it’s not. In fact, it’s essential to your well-being and foundational to the other 39 questions I ask you in my new book, How Am I Doing?: 40 Conversations To Have with Yourself. Facing up to challenges, becoming intentional with your day, making better decisions, improving relationships—you can’t tackle any of those goals until you recognize the position you’re here to play.

Even though I’m a generous guy and I’m happy to share what I have, I still recognize myself as the top dog in my world. And that means sometimes I have to be generous to myself, give myself the same time and attention and grace I give others. Before I can be a good brother, father, husband, friend, therapist, or coach to anyone, I have to be a good Corey for Corey. When opportunities come to put myself first for my own well-being, I take responsibility for my own needs.

When I’m starting to feel overwhelmed, I tell my wife, Carrie, that I’m taking a Corey day. That means I won’t be fielding any calls, even from her. I’ve learned to make this preemptive move before I become submerged and start making poor decisions. I won’t be able to take care of someone else who is overwhelmed when I’m in the same space myself.

It doesn’t mean I don’t want to help others. Being of service to others is vital to me. But I am aware of where I need to be mentally to be able to serve others. There are afternoons I literally sit in a chair in my living room and refuse to answer the door when people ring the doorbell. If they peer inside the house, they can even see me sitting there. That’s how comfortable I have become with putting myself first in this context.

This is not carte blanche to do whatever the heck you want. There will be situations when you’re not the priority, and it isn’t really about you. Putting someone else’s needs first can be the appropriate action in many situations. Staying up late to help your child with homework, or giving up your seat on the subway to someone who needs it, doesn’t mean you’re not the most important person. The difference is you’re moving consciously, not reflexively. You’re moving with awareness.

Try putting yourself first. Notice when and where you hesitate. Keep asking questions. Gaining more awareness of where you fall on your list of priorities is the very first step.

Essay on A Person Who Has Influenced My Life

Students are often asked to write an essay on A Person Who Has Influenced My Life in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on A Person Who Has Influenced My Life

Introduction.

My life has been significantly influenced by my grandmother. She is a person of great strength and wisdom, and her life stories have always inspired me.

Her Influence

My grandmother’s resilience in the face of adversity has taught me to be brave. Even during hardships, she never loses her positivity.

Lessons Learned

From her, I’ve learned the importance of hard work, patience, and kindness. Her selfless nature has made me more compassionate towards others.

In conclusion, my grandmother’s influence has shaped my character and outlook on life. Her teachings will always guide me.

250 Words Essay on A Person Who Has Influenced My Life

Life is a journey shaped by the people we encounter. These individuals influence us with their unique perspectives, experiences, and wisdom. For me, the person who has had the most profound influence on my life is my grandmother.

The Beacon of Wisdom

My grandmother, a woman of immense wisdom and resilience, has been my guiding star. She has always been a strong advocate for education, believing that it is the key to freedom and self-improvement. Her life stories, filled with struggles and triumphs, have taught me the value of perseverance and the power of determination.

The Embodiment of Empathy

Her empathy towards others has always been infectious. She always emphasized the importance of understanding and respecting the feelings of others. This has greatly influenced my interpersonal relationships, making me more considerate and compassionate.

Instilling the Love for Learning

One of the most significant influences she had on me was instilling a love for learning. She encouraged curiosity and exploration, teaching me to question, investigate, and learn. This has not only impacted my academic pursuits but has also shaped my approach towards life.

In conclusion, my grandmother’s influence has been instrumental in shaping my character and life philosophy. Her wisdom, empathy, and love for learning have left an indelible mark on me. Her influence serves as a reminder that individuals can significantly impact others, shaping their perspectives and ultimately their lives. This influence transcends time and space, living on in the hearts and minds of those they touch.

500 Words Essay on A Person Who Has Influenced My Life

In the journey of life, we encounter numerous individuals who leave a profound impact on our lives. However, there is always one person who stands out, casting a significant influence that shapes our personality, values, and life perspective. For me, that person is my grandmother. Her resilience, wisdom, and unconditional love have profoundly influenced my life.

Grandmother’s Resilience

My grandmother, a woman of strength and resilience, was born in a time when women’s roles were confined to the household. Despite these societal constraints, she pursued her education with a relentless spirit. Her resilience was further tested when she became a widow at a young age, left with the responsibility of raising five children single-handedly. Her determination to overcome these adversities instilled in me a sense of resilience. Witnessing her strength has taught me to face challenges head-on, turning adversities into opportunities for growth.

Wisdom and Life Lessons

Beyond her resilience, my grandmother is a wellspring of wisdom. She has an innate ability to turn mundane life events into profound life lessons. From her, I learned that life is not about the trials we face, but how we respond to them. She taught me to value patience, understanding, and kindness over material possessions. Her wisdom has shaped my worldview, enabling me to approach life with a balanced perspective, appreciating the simple joys while also acknowledging the inevitable challenges.

Unconditional Love

Perhaps the most significant influence my grandmother had on me is her demonstration of unconditional love. Despite her struggles, she always prioritized the happiness and well-being of her family. She showered us with love and care, reminding us that we are cherished and valued. This unconditional love has influenced my relationships, teaching me the importance of empathy, compassion, and understanding. It has made me a better friend, sibling, and citizen, as I strive to extend the same love and kindness to those around me.

In conclusion, the person who has influenced my life the most is my grandmother. Her resilience, wisdom, and unconditional love have shaped my character, values, and perspective on life. She has taught me to embrace challenges, value wisdom, and love unconditionally. These lessons have not only influenced my personal growth but also my interactions with others. As I navigate through the complexities of life, I carry her teachings with me, using them as a compass to guide my decisions and actions. Through her influence, I am becoming the person I aspire to be.

That’s it! I hope the essay helped you.

If you’re looking for more, here are essays on other interesting topics:

• Essay on A Famous Person You Admire
• Essay on Visit to a Science Fair
• Essay on Science Fair

Apart from these, you can look at all the essays by clicking here .

Happy studying!

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How To Answer “Who Inspires You?” (Examples Included)

September 15, 2022 by Hannah Morgan

“Who inspires you?” is a fairly broad interview question that gives you a lot of wiggle room with your answer. There are so many fascinating and inspirational people out there, so who do you choose?

This resource will help you come up with a great answer when picking your biggest inspiration, so you can use this question as an opportunity to impress.

Table of contents

Why interviewers ask “who inspires you, how to answer this question, what you shouldn’t say in your answer, best example answers.

Contrary to what some people think, job interviews aren’t always tough conversations that exclusively focus on the job at hand. While every question is relevant, they don’t always appear to be at face value. “Who inspires you?” is an example of this. It’s an open-ended question that cleverly provides more insight into who you are as a person.

The main reason why interviewers ask this question is that it sheds light on your motivations. Hiring managers want to know why you pursued this opportunity and whether or not it’s something you’ll continue to be inspired by moving forward. Money is always a significant factor in your job search, but companies want people who are there for more than just monetary gains. They want people who are naturally motivated to succeed and boost the organization’s bottom line.

When you talk about who inspires you, you’re indirectly telling the interviewer what paths you respect and values you hold. Most people gain inspiration from the people they respect most. It’s who you aspire to be like one day.

Your response is an excellent opportunity to show the interviewer who you are in a more creative way than your typical job interview answers. How you answer this question says a lot about you and could help your chances of getting hired.

“Who inspires you?” is a question that also provides more practical insight. In addition to telling them more about your values, it shows off your personality and provides a glimpse of how you can connect and communicate with others. It may even lead to a conversation about soft skills that are relevant to the job. Ultimately, this question tells the interview important personality details that no resume could convey.

“Who inspires you and why?” is a question that requires some thought to answer effectively, but it’s not as challenging as you think. Everyone’s response is different, and you should focus on talking about people who truly matter to you.

However, you can use a few tricks to ensure that you’re providing an effective answer that will leave a great impression.

1. Pick Someone with a Personal Connection

The first tip is to choose someone you have a genuine personal connection with. You don’t have to be super close or even know them personally. But it pays to talk about someone who truly inspires you and your professional career.

Avoid picking people you think the interviewer wants you to talk about in your answer. For example, avoid the obvious attempt at flattery, such as choosing the company’s CEO. Unless they genuinely inspire you, avoid those cliches.

It’s easier to talk about someone that actually means something to you. There’s a good chance that you have strong feelings about what that person has accomplished. You’ll sound more genuine if you have a solid connection to them.

There are many types of people you can talk about with this response. It could be a family member or close friend. Alternatively, you can choose historical figures, industry leaders, authors, or fictional characters. The sky’s the limit here, so think about the biggest inspirations in your professional career.

2. Keep Your Answer Relevant

“Who inspires you?” is a question that is best answered by choosing someone relevant to the job. Sure, you can select a person that has nothing to do with your industry. But that may not provide the insight that the interviewer is looking to get.

The best thing you can do is choose someone related to your field. They should have some connection to your industry, the company you’re applying for, or the position you’re trying to land. Any thread of similarity is something you can lean on when formulating your response.

For example, you can talk about an industry leader. Influencers or thought leaders in your industry are well-known and likely have exciting backstories to draw inspiration. The same goes for innovators within your field. 

You can also look towards historical figures that played a part in your industry becoming what it is today. Anyone with relevance to your industry is a great way to go.

3. Dig Deeper

When you’re explaining who inspires you and why, try not to lean heavily on the obvious traits of the person you’re discussing. For example, saying that the thing that inspires you most about an inventor is that they created a product isn’t exactly groundbreaking.

Go further.

Think about what makes this person so inspiring and what you connect with personally. Think about what this individual has done for you, your industry, and society as a whole.

One great technique is to explain what signature behaviors or traits about that person you want to emulate. Talk about the characteristics that inspire you and how you want to apply them in your professional career. 

Put thought into this response and avoid the obvious cliches. This will help you create a captivating answer that the interviewer hasn’t already heard many times before.

4. Keep It Brief

At most, your response should be around a minute to a minute and a half.

“Who inspires you?” is an interview question that has the potential to draw out long, rambling answers. You probably have many strong feelings about the person you’re talking about, but that doesn’t mean you should talk about them non-stop. Keep your answer relatively concise.

Hit all your main points – state who inspires you, explain why, and move on. Long answers can seem disjointed. Not only that, they’re difficult for you to remember.

A short answer that’s well-thought-out is more likely to leave an impact.

5. Practice

Our last tip is to practice as much as you can. 

That doesn’t mean you should type out a scripted response and memorize it verbatim. That would have the opposite effect you want. Over-rehearsed answers come off as inauthentic.

Instead, decide why the person you’re highlighting inspires you, jot down a few key points, and know the basic structure of your answer. Practice responding in many different ways. The goal is to be confident in your words, not recite a scripted answer.

While you have a lot of freedom to answer this question how you want, there are a few things you want to avoid. The following mistakes could hurt your chances, so keep them in mind when crafting your response.

Typical Family Answers

Most people have nothing but loving things to say about their parents or close family members. But unless you have a compelling or unique reason to talk about them, it’s best to avoid typical responses regarding your family. 

Interviewers are more interested in hearing about individuals who inspire your professional pursuits. You can talk about family if their story is relevant to your field. But talking about how much you love someone in your family or how their support made a difference doesn’t provide the insight interviewers are looking for.

Political or Religious Figureheads

Most workplaces have unspoken rules about discussing politics, religion, and other controversial topics. Your interview should be no different.

While hiring managers can’t discriminate against you, subconscious biases can come into play. The last thing you want to do is talk about a controversial figure that the interviewer doesn’t like. It automatically puts a negative cloud over the interview experience and creates biases that are difficult to shake.

It’s better to steer clear of anyone divisive or remotely controversial when talking about who inspires you.

Example-Free Responses

This mistake happens more frequently than it should! You might have people in mind who inspire you, but unless you can talk about why they inspire you, the answer is incomplete!

Here’s where adequate preparation comes in handy. Think about why those individuals inspire you and what traits you want to emulate in the workplace. “Who inspires you?” is an interview question that should always warrant an example during your answer.

Talking About Multiple People

You probably have many people you admire or view as a source of inspiration, but try limiting your response to just one.

Talking about several individuals can make your answer seem disorganized. Covering multiple people will likely make your response a bit too lengthy.

Self-Absorbed Answers

Finally, please don’t go with the “I inspire myself” response. That might sound groundbreaking to you, but it’s nothing but self-centered and a bit awkward to everyone else.

It can paint you negatively, making the interviewer think you’re arrogant or not a team player. You’ll have other opportunities to talk about how great you are, but this question is not it.

“Who inspires you?” is a question that offers plenty of room for creative thinking. Give it ample thought and use our tips above to mold a perfectly crafted response. To give you some inspiration about talking about who inspires you, here are a few stellar examples.

The first example is for a job-seeker looking to get into the accounting field. The person they choose to talk about is a well-known figure in the accounting world. He’s the namesake for a large, multinational accounting firm. 

But more importantly, the inspirational figurehead is someone who exemplifies the necessary skills and character traits to succeed in accounting. It’s a fine example of an applicant knowing their stuff and doing their research.

“One of my biggest inspirations is William Deloitte, who is often considered the grandfather of accounting.’ There are many things about Deloitte’s life that inspire me. He started his career at 15, opened his own accounting practice at 25, and eventually founded one of the largest firms in the world that continues to operate today!

He was incredibly motivated and continually aimed high. He never let obstacles get in his way, a trait I aspire to have. Deloitte also had impressive interpersonal skills, a natural inclination for leadership, and an eye for innovation.

All those characteristics made him one of the most prominent names in accounting. His story constantly reminds me to be ambitious and strive for excellence in this field.”

In our second example, the applicant isn’t talking about a well-known figure. Instead, they’re choosing to highlight a teacher who significantly impacted their life. They’re interviewing for a journalist position, and this teacher helped hone their skills while cementing unteachable traits.

This response works well because the applicant has a genuine connection to the individual. They discuss how that person made a difference and connect it all back to the position they’re trying to get.

“There are many people who inspire me in my career, but I believe that my senior-year English teacher, Mr. Smith, is the greatest inspiration in my life. Before Mr. Smith’s class, I was relatively indifferent to journalism. But after only a few weeks in his class, I discovered the power of words.

He pushed me outside my comfort zone, encouraging me to write about life experiences. Mr. Smith inspired us to write about challenging topics, teaching us to stand behind our words while using them to connect with readers.

Mr. Smith came in every day with an evident passion for writing. He did more than have us complete simple worksheets or fluff essays. His assignments were impactful, and I continue to use his lessons to ensure that every piece I write is authentic.

I admire his dedication to the craft, and I hope my words can inspire others as much as he inspired me.”

Our last example is about a difficult subject to create an answer for: A family member. Earlier, we mentioned that providing simple responses about a family member is not wise. But here’s an example of when you can talk about someone close to you while still keeping it relevant and thoughtful.

The applicant is trying to get a sales job and decides to talk about their father. While their father works in a slightly different field, they bring up relevant traits that matter to the position they’re trying to get.

“My biggest inspiration is my father. Not only has he inspired me throughout my life, but there are so many details about his career that I find aspirational.

He started in marketing at the age of 19. In just a few short years, he established a small, local firm. It continued to grow until he had a client portfolio that was 250-strong throughout the state.

My father taught me that building solid relationships with clients was paramount. He always stressed that communication and maintaining a professional relationship with clients were just as important as competence in your work.

For years, I watched him speak to clients as if they were old pals, and they had great respect for him. I hope to take that same dedication to customer satisfaction in my career, building a loyal customer list that sticks around for years to come.”

“Who inspires you?” is an interview question that you should prepare for like any other. It doesn’t matter if it seems less serious than others, because interviewers will pay close attention to your answer.

Pick someone relevant, find a unique angle and practice. If you follow these steps, your answer will be just what the interviewer was looking for!

Hannah Morgan speaks and writes about job search and career strategies. She founded CareerSherpa.net to educate professionals on how to maneuver through today’s job search process. Hannah was nominated as a LinkedIn Top Voice in Job Search and Careers and is a regular contributor to US News & World Report. She has been quoted by media outlets, including  Forbes, USA Today, Money Magazine, Huffington Post, as well as many other publications. She is also author of The Infographic Resume and co-author of Social Networking for Business Success .

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Answers to “Who Inspires You?” (5 Examples)

By Biron Clark

Published: November 15, 2023

In a job interview, employers don’t just want to know you can do the job; they want to know about your life and interests.

So they ask interview questions like, “Who inspires you in your life?” or “Who is your greatest inspiration?”

And if you struggle to answer or give a response they don’t like, it could cost you the job.

Keep reading for tips on how to answer, “Who inspires you?” with example responses, mistakes to avoid, and more.

How to Answer the “Who Inspires You?” Interview Question

First of all, this is an incredibly open-ended interview question.

And while there are no wrong responses… some answers are better than others.

You could answer that your mother or father is your greatest inspiration. And that would be an okay answer.

But I recommend you look beyond a personal or family connection when answering, and consider the specific job you’re interviewing for.

Because the next question you’ll be asked, assuming you don’t expand on it in the first place, is “why?”

What did your mother, father, college teacher , or other personal connection do that was so inspiring? Was it their work ethic? Leadership skills?

Again, any of those answers are correct, but your answer will stand out and resonate more with the interviewer if you go into detail and ideally, tailor your answer to the traits required in the position you’re discussing.

Here’s a good example of how to answer this interview question by matching your inspiration to the job.

Imagine you’re looking for a career with a non-profit organization whose purpose is to provide aid to the homeless, the sick, and the poor.

Claiming Mother Teresa as your greatest inspiration would be a sensible answer to the question.

She devoted most of her life to charitable work, helping the homeless, sick, and poor.

Or, if you were interviewing for a leadership position, you could use someone past or present who showed exemplary leadership as your inspiration.

Just be sure to pick someone you really admire because there’s a good chance your body language will give you away if you’re lying.

And yes, don’t be surprised if the recruiter or manager has some skill at reading body language.

The point is, your answer not only provides some insight into the person you aspire to be, but also highlights the type of behavioral patterns and attitudes you admire and respect.

And that will translate into the type of person you would be on the job.

Here’s another example of thinking about the job when answering “Who inspired you in your life?”

Imagine you’re interviewing for an accounting position. The soft skills you’ll need are:

• Problem-solving
• Strong communication skills, both written and oral
• Critical thinking
• Time management

You could use some famous accountants as your answer, perhaps someone like William Deloitte or William Cooper, the founders of Deloitte & Touche and Price Waterhouse Coopers respectively.

Or you could think outside the box and use as your inspiration someone who was or is well known for their critical thinking or problem-solving skills.

Of course, if you go this route, you need to clearly communicate your reasoning to your interviewer.

If you were to throw out Albert Einstein as your inspiration, that might not make sense to the person or people interviewing you because he’s a well-known physicist. But dig a little deeper and he’s also famous for being a problem solver and critical thinker, so you could talk about how he inspired you in those areas.

Throw an answer like that out and trust me, you’ll gain some serious credibility points.

As you can see, there’s no one “right” answer to this interview question. The key is to be able to explain why you choose the person and connect the dots between their story and your career and life goals.

Who Inspires You? Example Answers

Next, we’ll look at word-for-word who inspires you examples using people, past or present, who led a life that meshes with your career path and interests.

Example #1 for Who Inspires You: Mother Teresa

Someone who inspired me in my personal life and work is Mother Teresa. She dedicated her life to helping those less fortunate, and I’d like to achieve a similar story when I look back on my life. Also, I believe that her desire to help others made her a great leader, even though few would think of her that way. One of my favorite quotes by her is, “Do not go where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.”

This sample answer would be excellent if interviewing for a position at a charitable organization or other socially conscious organization.

It’s also a good answer for any role utilizing soft skills like leadership, empathy, emotional intelligence, interpersonal skills, and more.

No matter what your religious beliefs are (and I would recommend you don’t address them in the job interview), using this example answer with the reasons above would work in your favor and help you land any leadership role in an organization that values helping others.

Example #2 for Who Inspires You: Albert Einstein

Albert Einstein has inspired me in my career. His theories and vision enabled some of the technology we take for granted today, like GPS, lasers, atomic clocks, and much more. He also struggled with and had to overcome self-doubt, like so many people do. The fact that even he faced self-doubt is inspiring and reminds me to be persistent and believe in myself.

Albert Einstein would be a great choice for the “Who inspires you” interview question for anyone seeking a position in a company that requires creativity. For example:

• Any kind of artist
• Authors/writers
• College art, drama, or music teachers
• Editors, print or video
• Fashion designer
• Industrial designer
• Landscape architects

Example #3 for Who Inspires You: Michael Jordan

I’ve been inspired by Michael Jordan. He was talented, but more importantly, he was willing to outwork the competition and focus intensely on his goals. He was relentless and never stopped pushing himself to improve. One excellent piece of advice he shared was to never forget the fundamentals. “The minute you get away from fundamentals, whether it’s proper technique, work ethic, or mental preparation, the bottom can fall out of your game, your schoolwork, your job, whatever you’re doing.”

This is an interview answer that you could use for virtually any type of job.

In the corporate world, there are fundamentals critical to your success. Each job position will have its own fundamentals, but Jordan’s advice is that whatever they are, keep at them.

He also didn’t let failure stop him, which you can also say was inspiring to you. Ironically, when he was in high school, he was disqualified from the varsity basketball team because he wasn’t tall enough or good enough.

What did he do? Well, he eventually grew but more importantly, he practiced until he was good enough.

All of the factors above make Michael Jordan an excellent choice for someone you find inspiring.

Note that you could also choose a more recent athlete such as Kobe Bryant if you prefer (who happened to have a similar mindset, competitiveness, and mental toughness to Michael Jordan).

Example #4 for Who Inspires You: William Deloitte

Since becoming an accountant , I’ve been inspired by William Deloitte, one of the fathers of accounting. I’m inspired by his innovation, leadership, and interpersonal skills. These traits allowed him to make powerful connections and accomplish a tremendous amount in his career. He was ambitious and aimed high, too, which are values that are important to me. He started his career at 15 and opened his own practice at 25. He went on to found one of the largest accounting firms in the world, so his story is a reminder to stay ambitious and motivated in life.

This is a good answer to “Who inspires you?” if interviewing for any position in accounting or bookkeeping.

Remember, it’s always a good idea to consider the job you’re discussing when you answer this interview question.

Example #5 for Who Inspires You: Your Father

My father is someone who inspired me throughout life and is the reason I got into the marketing industry. When he was 19, he started a small local marketing firm and grew it to the point of having 200 clients throughout the state. He recognized that building strong relationships is just as important as being competent in your work, and he became excellent at both through consistent effort. He was also an inspiration because nobody told him to go down the marketing route, and he didn’t study marketing in school. Instead, he read local newspapers, saw opportunities to help businesses market themselves better in the local community, and went door-to-door to get his first clients.

As you can see, it’s okay to say a personal connection or family member inspired you.

But if choosing friends, parents, or other relatives/personal connections, you need to be ready to show something exceptional they did and exactly how that was an inspiration in your life and career. Otherwise, choose someone else as your inspirational figure.

Now you have 5 examples to the question, “Who inspires you?”

I’ve mentioned a few times that there are no wrong answers to this interview question. But there are some mistakes you should avoid when giving your interview answer…

Mistakes to Avoid When Answering “Who Inspires You?”

The #1 mistake to avoid when saying who inspires you in an interview:

If there’s anything we’ve learned in the last several years, it’s that there are some topics and people who are completely polarizing. Many people are one hundred percent for or against something or someone.

Why does that matter?

Because you have no idea where the person who’s interviewing you stands on the subject. And if you voice a strong like or dislike contrary to theirs, that could count against you.

So it’s best to stay away from anyone or anything highly controversial or polarizing, such as most political figures or issues.

Further mistakes to avoid:

• If you do choose a famous person, make sure they really are someone you admire and respect. Otherwise you won’t sound convincing.
• Don’t give an answer that’s more than 60-90 seconds. Be selective in sharing why someone has inspired you and just choose a few key points to share. You don’t need to share every detail you’ve read and researched about this person, and if the interviewer wants to hear more, they’ll ask.
• Don’t ever answer without having a reason ready. If you choose your mother, father, a friend, or anyone related to you, be sure to have an appropriate reason.

8 Types of People You Can Say Inspired You

To help you gather more ideas for potential answers to “Who inspired you in your life?” here are some general types of people you can mention as your inspiration.

• Historical figures
• Mentors/coaches
• Noteworthy people in your community
• Parents, family, and friends

If you follow the steps and sample answers above, you’ll be ready to answer “Who inspires you?” in your next interview.

If you can’t think of someone to name and the examples above don’t work for you, don’t panic.

Google is your friend for coming up with more answers and people you find inspiring.

If you’re not sure what soft skills and traits are most important for the position your interview is for, you can do a search on something like “soft skills needed for…” and just fill in either the field or role you’re hoping to get hired for.

Also, look at the job description before your interview. Notice which skills and traits are mentioned first and/or most often.

Then, you can try searching for someone motivational that matches the soft skills required for the job. Try something like a search for “examples of people with a good work ethic.”

This preparation will help you wow the interviewer so you can land the job.

Related interview questions:

• What do you like to do for fun?
• How would you describe yourself?
• Tell me about a time you failed?

About the Author

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What Does the World Need to Know About an Important Person in Your Life?

By Shannon Doyne

• March 6, 2017

If you could write a speech, a poem, a song, even a dating profile of a loved one so that others could know what makes him or her so special, what would you say?

What are the stories about this person that are truly worth telling?

In the Modern Love column “ You May Want to Marry My Husband ,” Amy Krouse Rosenthal, facing her own imminent death, pays tribute to her husband of 26 years in the forms of an online dating profile she imagines he could use to ensure that he gets, as she closes the essay the “fresh start” that he and the right person who comes along deserve. She writes:

The following list of attributes is in no particular order because everything feels important to me in some way. He is a sharp dresser. Our young adult sons, Justin and Miles, often borrow his clothes. Those who know him — or just happen to glance down at the gap between his dress slacks and dress shoes — know that he has a flair for fabulous socks. He is fit and enjoys keeping in shape. If our home could speak, it would add that Jason is uncannily handy. On the subject of food — man, can he cook. After a long day, there is no sweeter joy than seeing him walk in the door, plop a grocery bag down on the counter, and woo me with olives and some yummy cheese he has procured before he gets to work on the evening’s meal. Jason loves listening to live music; it’s our favorite thing to do together. I should also add that our 19-year-old daughter, Paris, would rather go to a concert with him than anyone else. When I was working on my first memoir, I kept circling sections my editor wanted me to expand upon. She would say, “I’d like to see more of this character.” Of course, I would agree — he was indeed a captivating character. But it was funny because she could have just said: “Jason. Let’s add more about Jason.” He is an absolutely wonderful father. Ask anyone. See that guy on the corner? Go ahead and ask him; he’ll tell you. Jason is compassionate — and he can flip a pancake. Jason paints. I love his artwork. I would call him an artist except for the law degree that keeps him at his downtown office most days from 9 to 5. Or at least it did before I got sick. If you’re looking for a dreamy, let’s-go-for-it travel companion, Jason is your man. He also has an affinity for tiny things: taster spoons, little jars, a mini-sculpture of a couple sitting on a bench, which he presented to me as a reminder of how our family began. Here is the kind of man Jason is: He showed up at our first pregnancy ultrasound with flowers. This is a man who, because he is always up early, surprises me every Sunday morning by making some kind of oddball smiley face out of items near the coffeepot: a spoon, a mug, a banana. This is a man who emerges from the minimart or gas station and says, “Give me your palm.” And, voilà, a colorful gumball appears. (He knows I love all the flavors but white.)

Students: Read the entire article, then tell us:

— What do you think about the description of Jason? Does he seem like a real person to you?Explain.

— What memorable details about him stayed with you after reading his wife’s descriptions and anecdotes about him?

— How would you tell the world about a special person in your life? What details would you include? Why?

— How do you think Jason reacted when he read his wife’s tribute? How do you think the person in your tribute would react if you expressed all of the things you listed above?

— Have you ever written about someone close to you? If so, how did it go? If not, what is holding you back?

Students 13 and older are invited to comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff, but please keep in mind that once your comment is accepted, it will be made public.

The most important person in my life Essay Example

• Pages: 4 (1088 words)
• Published: September 13, 2017
• Type: Paper

The most important person in my life is my mum, Nalini. She is the one who brought me into this world. She has brought me up in a friendly environment and educated me well enough to be at this school and to be able to write about her. Born in Gujarat, India, my mum lived in a family with her parents, an older brother and a younger sister. She grew up as being a lively girl until the age of sixteen when sadly her dad died from a heart attack leaving her most of the responsibility of earning money for her family as there was and is no such thing as benefits in India.

She helped my grandmother with the housework and also with earning money. When my mum was at school, she decided to teach young children and earn mo

ney that way. She was a very caring child and a responsible family member. She also went on a beautician course where she learned how to make and do henna. Henna is patterns you draw on your hands with a dye. There is a process in which to make the natural dye. People mainly put it on when they are getting married, but these days, people put it on for fun. She also learned how to get an Indian bride ready by doing her make-up, hairstyles, henna, and putting the sari on the bride.

She is very adaptable because when she married my dad, she moved to London. She had never before been to London but she adjusted quite well into the different lifestyle. For example in India, there were servants to do your wash your dirty

clothes and swept the floors (because only the rich people have carpets in India). Here she realised she has to do all jobs herself. Married at the age of nineteen, she came to London and found that my dad (because he was a student) was not living in a house but in a rented room. She did not complain but settled in and started to think about how she would try and earn some money and buy a house.

She did not want to buy a house just for herself ut because she was planning to have a family with children and she wanted her child to be born in a house. My mum learned how to drive and found a job in a factory. She realised that this was very hard work and she was educated, so she might be able to get a better job with a higher pay. She then found herself a job in an Indian sweet shop. Both my parents did overtime at their jobs and they finally had enough money to buy a house and a car. My sister was born in 1984 and my mum was overjoyed. When my mum was pregnant with me, she went for a scan and the nurse could not see my left arm.

After a eek there was another scan but even then there was no sign of my left arm. The nurse thought that there was a possibility of me being born with disabilities. So they said to mum that she might want an abortion if she did not want a handicapped child. Shattered, my mum's hopes were all destroyed. She was confused and

did not agree with abortion and decided that she would keep me, even if I were handicapped. This brought an extra closeness in our relationship. Another good element in her personality is that she is tolerant. She tolerates my dad's mood swings and tries to adjust her ways of living to keep him happy.

She also tolerates me when sometimes I do not listen to her. She is also a very good listener. She listens to everything I have to say and also she understands and advises me on my feelings. She also listens to everything my grandmother tells her and is very obedient. For example when my mum has made a mistake in making a curry then my grandmother tells her how to improve it next time and my mum always picks up on it and obeys. My family consists of my parents and my sister. My sister is my dad's 'little girl'. Whenever we, as a family are discussing a topic, we always end up with different views.

My dad and sister have the same views and my mum and I have the same views. We end up having debates and it is always my mum and I who win. I often say to my mum that, 'great minds think alike'. However there are bad points about her, and that is that she gets stressed very easily. Every evening when she comes back from work, she is grumpy but then she becomes relaxed in an hour. I think it is quite acceptable for her to be like that because she works very hard and also has many jobs. Her main day job is as a

benefits fraud investigator. This is where she investigates if people are taking wrong benefits for the rong reasons.

An example of a case she handles is when a married person is taking benefit as a single parent. She also tutors children from the age group of 6-12 in the evenings for their 11+ exams. As I have mentioned earlier in the essay, she had teaching experience in India and therefore this job is running successfully. She also becomes a beautician at the weekends. She has a very busy life and I know it is all for my family. Since I was a child I have always wanted to be like my mum and also look like her, but unfortunately I have ended up with my dad's looks.

I also wanted my mum's ersonality because of her tolerance, determination, hard work and her good habit of looking ahead. Recently we bought a bigger house and my mum was the one who wanted to buy it and therefore she saved up money so we can buy it. She thought a long way ahead before buying this house and planned out how we will sell the old house. Now she is planning ahead extension for this house. I love my mum and I can never be separated from her because recently she went to India for three weeks and I was very upset. There was not a day when I did not remember her. I am very grateful that God has given me a mum like her.

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Full Text: Harrison Butker of Kansas City Chiefs Graduation Speech

The Super Bowl champ and kicker spoke about the dignity of life, masculinity, and the most important role of all: motherhood.

Editor’s Note: Harrison Butker, 28, the placekicker for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League, delivered the commencement address at Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas, on Saturday, May 11, 2024. A transcript of his remarks is below.

Ladies and gentlemen of the Class of 2024:  I would like to start off by congratulating all of you for successfully making it to this achievement today. I'm sure your high school graduation was not what you had imagined, and most likely, neither was your first couple years of college.

By making it to this moment through all the adversity thrown your way from COVID, I hope you learned the important lessons that suffering in this life is only temporary. As a group, you witnessed firsthand how bad leaders who don't stay in their lane can have a negative impact on society. It is through this lens that I want to take stock of how we got to where we are, and where we want to go as citizens and, yes, as Catholics. One last thing before I begin, I want to be sure to thank President Minnis and the board for their invitation to speak.

When President Minnis first reached out a couple of months ago, I had originally said No. You see, last year I gave the commencement address at my alma mater, Georgia Tech, and I felt that one graduation speech was more than enough, especially for someone who isn't a professional speaker. But of course, President Minnis used his gift of persuasion. [ Laughter ] It spoke to the many challenges you all faced throughout the COVID fiasco ,and how you missed out on so many milestones the rest of us older people have taken for granted. While COVID might have played a large role throughout your formative years, it is not unique. Bad policies and poor leadership have negatively impacted major life issues. Things like abortion, IVF, surrogacy, euthanasia, as well as a growing support for degenerate cultural values in media, all stem from the pervasiveness of disorder.

Our own nation is led by a man who publicly and proudly proclaims his Catholic faith, but at the same time is delusional enough to make the Sign of the Cross during a pro- abortion rally. He has been so vocal in his support for the murder of innocent babies that I'm sure to many people it appears that you can be both Catholic and pro-choice.

He is not alone. From the man behind the COVID lockdowns to the people pushing dangerous gender ideologies onto the youth of America, they all have a glaring thing in common. They are Catholic. This is an important reminder that being Catholic alone doesn't cut it.

These are the sorts of things we are told in polite society to not bring up. You know, the difficult and unpleasant things. But if we are going to be men and women for this time in history, we need to stop pretending that the "Church of Nice" is a winning proposition. We must always speak and act in charity, but never mistake charity for cowardice.

It is safe to say that over the past few years, I have gained quite the reputation for speaking my mind. I never envisioned myself, nor wanted, to have this sort of a platform, but God has given it to me, so I have no other choice but to embrace it and preach more hard truths about accepting your lane and staying in it.

As members of the Church founded by Jesus Christ, it is our duty and ultimately privilege to be authentically and unapologetically Catholic. Don't be mistaken, even within the Church, people in polite Catholic circles will try to persuade you to remain silent. There even was an award-winning film called Silence , made by a fellow Catholic, wherein one of the main characters, a Jesuit priest, abandoned the Church, and as an apostate when he died is seen grasping a crucifix, quiet and unknown to anyone but God. As a friend of Benedictine College, His Excellency Bishop Robert Barron, said in his review of the film, it was exactly what the cultural elite want to see in Christianity -- private, hidden away, and harmless.

Our Catholic faith has always been countercultural. Our Lord, along with countless followers, were all put to death for their adherence to her teachings. The world around us says that we should keep our beliefs to ourselves whenever they go against the tyranny of diversity, equity, and inclusion. We fear speaking truth, because now, unfortunately, truth is in the minority. Congress just passed a bill where stating something as basic as the biblical teaching of who killed Jesus could land you in jail.

But make no mistake, before we even attempt to fix any of the issues plaguing society, we must first get our own house in order, and it starts with our leaders. The bishops and priests appointed by God as our spiritual fathers must be rightly ordered. There is not enough time today for me to list all the stories of priests and bishops misleading their flocks, but none of us can blame ignorance anymore and just blindly proclaim that “That's what Father said.” Because sadly, many priests we are looking to for leadership are the same ones who prioritize their hobbies or even photos with their dogs and matching outfits for the parish directory.

It's easy for us laymen and women to think that in order for us to be holy, that we must be active in our parish and try to fix it. Yes, we absolutely should be involved in supporting our parishes, but we cannot be the source for our parish priests to lean on to help with their problems. Just as we look at the relationship between a father and his son, so too should we look at the relationship between a priest and his people. It would not be appropriate for me to always be looking to my son for help when it is my job as his father to lead him.

St. Josemaría Escrivá states that priests are ordained to serve, and should not yield to temptation to imitate laypeople, but to be priests through and through. Tragically, so many priests revolve much of their happiness from the adulation they receive from their parishioners, and in searching for this, they let their guard down and become overly familiar. This undue familiarity will prove to be problematic every time, because as my teammate's girlfriend says, familiarity breeds contempt. [ Laughter ]

Saint Josemaría continues that some want to see the priest as just another man. That is not so. They want to find in the priest those virtues proper to every Christian, and indeed every honorable man:  understanding, justice, a life of work — priestly work, in this instance — and good manners. It is not prudent as the laity for us to consume ourselves in becoming amateur theologians so that we can decipher this or that theological teaching — unless, of course, you are a theology major. We must be intentional with our focus on our state in life and our own vocation. And for most of us, that's as married men and women. Still, we have so many great resources at our fingertips that it doesn't take long to find traditional and timeless teachings that haven't been ambiguously reworded for our times. Plus, there are still many good and holy priests, and it's up to us to seek them out.

The chaos of the world is unfortunately reflected in the chaos in our parishes, and sadly, in our cathedrals too. As we saw during the pandemic, too many bishops were not leaders at all. They were motivated by fear, fear of being sued, fear of being removed, fear of being disliked. They showed by their actions, intentional or unintentional, that the sacraments don't actually matter. Because of this, countless people died alone, without access to the sacraments, and it's a tragedy we must never forget. As Catholics, we can look to so many examples of heroic shepherds who gave their lives for their people, and ultimately, the Church. We cannot buy into the lie that the things we experienced during COVID were appropriate. Over the centuries, there have been great wars, great famines, and yes, even great diseases, all that came with a level of lethality and danger. But in each of those examples, Church leaders leaned into their vocations and ensured that their people received the sacraments.

Great saints like St. Damien of Molokai, who knew the dangers of his ministry, stayed for 11 years as a spiritual leader to the leper colonies of Hawaii. His heroism is looked at today as something set apart and unique, when ideally it should not be unique at all. For as a father loves his child, so a shepherd should love his spiritual children, too.

That goes even more so for our bishops, these men who are present-day apostles. Our bishops once had adoring crowds of people kissing their rings and taking in their every word, but now relegate themselves to a position of inconsequential existence. Now, when a bishop of a diocese or the bishop's conference as a whole puts out an important document on this matter or that, nobody even takes a moment to read it, let alone follow it.

No. Today, our shepherds are far more concerned with keeping the doors open to the chancery than they are with saying the difficult stuff out loud. It seems that the only time you hear from your bishops is when it's time for the annual appeal, whereas we need our bishops to be vocal about the teachings of the Church, setting aside their own personal comfort and embracing their cross. Our bishops are not politicians but shepherds, so instead of fitting in the world by going along to get along, they too need to stay in their lane and lead.

I say all of this not from a place of anger, as we get the leaders we deserve. But this does make me reflect on staying in my lane and focusing on my own vocation and how I can be a better father and husband and live in the world but not be of it. Focusing on my vocation while praying and fasting for these men will do more for the Church than me complaining about her leaders.

Because there seems to be so much confusion coming from our leaders, there needs to be concrete examples for people to look to in places like Benedictine, a little Kansas college built high on a bluff above the Missouri River, are showing the world how an ordered, Christ-centered existence is the recipe for success. You need to look no further than the examples all around this campus, where over the past 20 years, enrollment has doubled, construction and revitalization are a constant part of life, and people, the students, the faculty and staff, are thriving. This didn't happen by chance. In a deliberate movement to embrace traditional Catholic values, Benedictine has gone from just another liberal arts school with nothing to set it apart to a thriving beacon of light and a reminder to us all that when you embrace tradition, success — worldly and spiritual — will follow.

I am certain the reporters at the AP could not have imagined that their attempt to rebuke and embarrass places and people like those here at Benedictine wouldn't be met with anger, but instead met with excitement and pride. Not the deadly sin sort of pride that has an entire month dedicated to it, but the true God-centered pride that is cooperating with the Holy Ghost to glorify him. Reading that article now shared all over the world, we see that in the complete surrender of self and a turning towards Christ, you will find happiness. Right here in a little town in Kansas, we find many inspiring laypeople using their talents.

President Minnis, Dr. [Andrew] Swafford, and Dr. [Jared] Zimmerer are a few great examples right here on this very campus that will keep the light of Christ burning bright for generations to come. Being locked in with your vocation and staying in your lane is going to be the surest way for you to find true happiness and peace in this life.

It is essential that we focus on our own state in life, whether that be as a layperson, a priest, or religious. Ladies and gentlemen of the class of 2024, you are sitting at the edge of the rest of your lives. Each of you has the potential to leave a legacy that transcends yourselves and this era of human existence. In the small ways, by living out your vocation, you will ensure that God's Church continues and the world is enlightened by your example.

For the ladies present today, congratulations on an amazing accomplishment. You should be proud of all that you have achieved to this point in your young lives. I want to speak directly to you briefly because I think it is you, the women, who have had the most diabolical lies told to you. How many of you are sitting here now about to cross this stage and are thinking about all the promotions and titles you are going to get in your career? Some of you may go on to lead successful careers in the world, but I would venture to guess that the majority of you are most excited about your marriage and the children you will bring into this world.

I can tell you that my beautiful wife, Isabelle, would be the first to say that her life truly started when she began living her vocation as a wife and as a mother. I'm on the stage today and able to be the man I am because I have a wife who leans into her vocation. I'm beyond blessed with the many talents God has given me, but it cannot be overstated that all of my success is made possible because a girl I met in band class back in middle school would convert to the faith, become my wife, and embrace one of the most important titles of all: homemaker.

[ Applause lasting 18 seconds ]

She is a primary educator to our children. She is the one who ensures I never let football or my business become a distraction from that of a husband and father. She is the person that knows me best at my core, and it is through our marriage that, Lord willing, we will both attain salvation.

I say all of this to you because I have seen it firsthand how much happier someone can be when they disregard the outside noise and move closer and closer to God's will in their life. Isabelle's dream of having a career might not have come true, but if you asked her today if she has any regrets on her decision, she would laugh out loud, without hesitation, and say, “Heck, No.”

As a man who gets a lot of praise and has been given a platform to speak to audiences like this one today, I pray that I always use my voice for God and not for myself. Everything I am saying to you is not from a place of wisdom, but rather a place of experience. I am hopeful that these words will be seen as those from a man, not much older than you, who feels it is imperative that this class, this generation, and this time in our society must stop pretending that the things we see around us are normal.

Heterodox ideas abound even within Catholic circles. But let's be honest, there is nothing good about playing God with having children — whether that be your ideal number or the perfect time to conceive. No matter how you spin it, there is nothing natural about Catholic birth control.

It is only in the past few years that I have grown encouraged to speak more boldly and directly because, as I mentioned earlier, I have leaned into my vocation as a husband and father, and as a man.

To the gentlemen here today: Part of what plagues our society is this lie that has been told to you that men are not necessary in the home or in our communities. As men, we set the tone of the culture, and when that is absent, disorder, dysfunction, and chaos set in. This absence of men in the home is what plays a large role in the violence we see all around the nation. Other countries do not have nearly the same absentee father rates as we find here in the U.S., and a correlation could be made in their drastically lower violence rates, as well.

Be unapologetic in your masculinity, fighting against the cultural emasculation of men. Do hard things. Never settle for what is easy. You might have a talent that you don't necessarily enjoy, but if it glorifies God, maybe you should lean into that over something that you might think suits you better. I speak from experience as an introvert who now finds myself as an amateur public speaker and an entrepreneur, something I never thought I'd be when I received my industrial engineering degree.

The road ahead is bright. Things are changing. Society is shifting. And people, young and old, are embracing tradition. Not only has it been my vocation that has helped me and those closest to me, but not surprising to many of you, should be my outspoken embrace of the traditional Latin Mass. I've been very vocal in my love and devotion to the TLM and its necessity for our lives. But what I think gets misunderstood is that people who attend the TLM do so out of pride or preference. I can speak to my own experience, but for most people I have come across within these communities this simply is not true. I do not attend the TLM because I think I am better than others, or for the smells and bells, or even for the love of Latin. I attend the TLM because I believe, just as the God of the Old Testament was pretty particular in how he wanted to be worshipped, the same holds true for us today. It is through the TLM that I encountered order, and began to pursue it in my own life. Aside from the TLM itself, too many of our sacred traditions have been relegated to things of the past, when in my parish, things such as ember days, days when we fast and pray for vocations and for our priests, are still adhered to. The TLM is so essential that I would challenge each of you to pick a place to move where it is readily available.

A lot of people have complaints about the parish or the community, but we should not sacrifice the Mass for community. I prioritize the TLM even if the parish isn't beautiful, the priest isn't great, or the community isn't amazing. I still go to the TLM because I believe the holy sacrifice of the Mass is more important than anything else. I say this knowing full well that when each of you rekindle your knowledge and adherence to many of the church's greatest traditions, you will see how much more colorful and alive your life can and should be.

As you move on from this place and enter into the world, know that you will face many challenges. Sadly, I'm sure many of you know of the countless stories of good and active members of this community who, after graduation and moving away from the Benedictine bubble, have ended up moving in with their boyfriend or girlfriend prior to marriage. Some even leave the Church and abandon God. It is always heartbreaking to hear these stories, and there is a desire to know what happened and what went wrong.

What you must remember is that life is about doing the small things well, setting yourself up for success, and surrounding yourself with people who continually push you to be the best version of you. I say this all the time, that iron sharpens iron. It's a great reminder that those closest to us should be making us better. If you are dating someone who doesn't even share your faith, how do you expect that person to help you become a saint? If your friend group is filled with people who only think about what you're doing next weekend and are not willing to have those difficult conversations, how can they help sharpen you?

As you prepare to enter into the workforce, it is extremely important that you actually think about the places you are moving to. Who is the bishop? What kind of parishes are there? Do they offer the TLM and have priests who embrace their priestly vocation? Cost of living must not be the only arbiter of your choices, for a life without God is not a life at all, and the cost of salvation is worth more than any career.

I'm excited for the future, and I pray that something I have said will resonate as you move on to the next chapter of your life.

Never be afraid to profess the one holy, Catholic, and apostolic Church, for this is the Church that Jesus Christ established, through which we receive sanctifying grace.

I know that my message today had a little less fluff than is expected for these speeches, but I believe that this audience and this venue is the best place to speak openly and honestly about who we are and where we all want to go, which is Heaven.

I thank God for Benedictine College and for the example it provides the world. I thank God for men like President Minnis, who are doing their part for the Kingdom. Come to find out you can have an authentically Catholic college and a thriving football program. [ Laughter and applause ]

Make no mistake: You are entering into mission territory in a post-God world, but you were made for this. And with God by your side and a constant striving for virtue within your vocation, you too can be a saint.

Christ is King.

To the Heights.

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General election latest: Conservatives attack Starmer's 'stamina' as PM shuns football team to campaign; Labour hit back over Tory's pub visit

The home secretary outlined a surprising major Tory proposal to reintroduce National Service on Sky News this morning. Party insiders think the plan has been "under wraps for some time". Elsewhere, the PM will not watch his football team at Wembley as he continues to campaign.

Sunday 26 May 2024 19:30, UK

• General Election 2024

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General election called for 4 July

• PM vows to introduce National Service  | But no threat of jail time  | Pledge 'start of election campaign proper
• Tory defence minister criticised national service last week
• Tories attack Starmer over lack of campaigning
• Labour pledges to reignite Sunak's proposed smoking ban
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Five days into the general election campaign, the battle for the right-wing vote is already playing out in full view.

Bringing back a form of National Service is a policy targeted squarely at traditional Tory voters and crucially those who are thinking of backing the party’s right-wing rival – Reform UK.

Broadbrush polling on the concept shows many in this group approve.

That said, dig into the detail and the picture is more complex – as one pollster put it "you wouldn’t bet your house on polling like this, particularly if your house was Number 10 Downing Street".

What’s not in doubt is that this eye-catching announcement has changed the campaign conversation after a bumpy start for Rishi Sunak.

But just as the prime minister starts to get on the front foot, a reminder of the threat he faces from the right.

Entering the election in a characteristically controversial way, Reform president Nigel Farage offended many with suggestions that many Muslims did not agree with “British values”.

The ex-UKIP leader is not chasing a parliamentary seat this time round, but this intervention shows he’s not afraid to roll the pitch for his party colleagues in the most inflammatory fashion. 

There have been numerous responses to the government's National Service pledge - but one minister and Tory MP has been "liking" a series of posts on X which are very critical of it.

Steve Baker, the MP for Wycombe, previously was a member of the RAF.

Among his likes are one post calling the idea of National Service "totally moronic", another highlighting Downing Street previously denying such plans existing, and one about a "devastating takedown" of National Service last week by a defence minister - you can see more in the 3.12pm post.

He also reposted an X post highlighting the same defence minister's words.

Rishi Sunak has posted a TikTok video - the first his party have put on the short-form video platform.

In it, Mr Sunak explains his proposed National Service policy to younger voters, addressing those who tend to use the platform.

However, this comes despite calls within the party to ban the TikTok platform from this UK.

The likes of Sir Iain Duncan Smith, Alicia Kearns, and Tim Loughton have all raised concerns about TikTok due to its association with China and concerns about what is being done with users' data.

It was only last week that a Tory MP and government minister was criticising the concept of National Service.

And yet it is now a policy his party wants to introduce.

Responding to a written question in the House of Commons, defence minister and Conservative MP Andrew Murrison said on Thursday: "If potentially unwilling National Service recruits were to be obliged to serve alongside the professional men and women of our Armed Forces, it could damage morale, recruitment and retention and would consume professional military and naval resources.

"If, on the other hand, National Service recruits were kept in separate units, it would be difficult to find a proper and meaningful role for them, potentially harming motivation and discipline.

"For all these reasons, there are no current plans for the restoration of any form of National Service."

defence and security correspondent Deborah Haynes heard from one Ministry of Defence insider: "This is a policy surprise to me. I haven't seen it discussed in the Ministry of Defence."

It is worth pointing out at this point there is a difference between the Minister of Defence and the government machine, and the political campaign being run by the Conservative Party.

Yesterday, Rishi Sunak came under attack for his lack of campaigning - as he held meetings in his Yorkshire constituency before flying to London and campaigning there.

Today, the Tories have turned fire on Sir Keir Starmer - with the Labour leader not being seen at all in public today.

Rather, shadow cabinet members Liz Kendall and Rachel Reeves were seen out and about.

Mr Sunak was campaigning in North London, meanwhile, although he did not give any interviews.

A senior Conservative party source said: "Yesterday the PM hit the campaign trail two hours before Sir Keir surfaced.

"Today there is no sign of Starmer whatsoever and we are just four days into the campaign. 

"Campaigns are tough, tiring things and it's understandable that he may be weary. But being prime minister is a 24/7 job which requires stamina."

A Labour spokesperson hit back: "Keir and the Labour Party are working round the clock, enjoying taking our message of change to the country. 

"We were out speaking with voters across the country within half an hour of the election being called. 

"Meanwhile the PM has been holed up with his aides at his house, the Tory Party chair spent yesterday afternoon at a pub in Westminster and the cabinet appear to have completely disappeared."

Sky political correspondent Darren McCaffrey is in South Cambridgeshire, covering the Liberal Democrat's election campaign.

He points that the party's battle bus - Yellow Hammer one - is going to be used to "break down the Blue Wall", which is the area in the South of England in which many Conservative MPs currently sit.

Darren says this campaign is very different to 2019, when the Lib Dems claimed they would win 200 seats in the wake of Brexit.

"This is a much more considered campaign, a much more targeted campaign, of trying to win seats like South Cambridgeshire," he says.

It is a seat which has been "rock-solid" Conservative for a long time, but boundary changes mean the Lib Dems reckon they're in with a chance.

Darren says this seat - and similar ones in areas like Surrey - are the ones Sir Ed will be targeting in the next six weeks.

They will do this using a message known as ABC - anyone but the Conservatives - where they will encourage people to vote the Tories out.

This is being done in the hopes that supporters of parties like Labour and the Greens will back them in areas where the Lib Dems are the main challengers.

Sir Ed Davey, the leader of the Liberal Democrats, is launching his party's general election campaign battle bus in Cambridgeshire.

Sir Ed reveals the bus is called "Yellow Hammer 1".

He then tells campaigners that the election is the opportunity to "kick this out of touch Conservative government out of office" - and a chance "to elect great Liberal Democrat MPs".

The Liberal Democrat leader says people "are struggling with the cost of living with high energy bills, with mortgages and high rents with high food bills".

He adds: "And they're fed up of the Conservatives not helping them. 

"They're worried about loved ones waiting for hours for ambulances, days and weeks for a GP appointment, months for urgent cancer treatment. 

"And they're fed up of the Conservatives having plunged our NHS and care into crisis.

"They're angry with the water companies being allowed to pump their filthy sewage into our rivers and onto our beaches. 

"And they're fed up with Conservative MPs voting to allow that to continue. 

"And they want change, and they want the Conservatives out."

Rachel Reeves, the shadow chancellor, has been doing a campaign visit from West Yorkshire this afternoon.

She gives what will shortly become her recognisable stump speech - commenting on how it is "time to turn the page on 14 years of chaos and decline" with the Conservatives.

She adds that economic growth is "on its knees" - but Labour has a plan "to turn things around".

Ms Reeves highlights there have been five prime ministers, seven chancellors and 12 plans for growth since 2010.

The Labour front bencher adds that she will create a national wealth fund to invest in jobs and industry, with a "modern industrial strategy that businesses can get behind".

She pledges to "never play fast and loose with the public finances".

Sky News has been speaking to people from across the political spectrum about the announcement today on National Service plans being proposed by the Conservatives.

Paul Goodman, the former editor of the Conservative Home website, says: "Well, this is the start of the election campaign proper.

"I think we're now getting to the point where the two parties will begin to unveil their policies - and I would expect more from the Conservatives this week."

On the policy itself, Mr Goodman suggests there is a lot of support for some form of National Service, and this was researched by a former thinktank director who is now in government.

This suggests it has been "under wraps for some time" as a plan.

Meanwhile, Tom Belger, the editor of Labour List, says the plan is an "unfunded gimmick". 

He adds that the government has had 14 years to come up with ideas.

But he conceded that Labour should not be ruling out a version of the pledge "per se" - but maybe should be "pushing back" on the "fixation of the armed forces".

Rishi Sunak grew up in Southampton and supports the city's football team.

He went to his team's play-off semi-final as they fight for promotion from the Championship.

But he will not be at Wembley today as the Saints take on Leeds United, with the final slot in the Premier League next season up for grabs.

Instead, it is understood that he will be meeting voters in the South East, the PA news agency has been told.

Sources close to the prime minister said he will still be paying attention to the score of the match, which kicks off at 3pm.

Pictures showed Mr Sunak was campaigning in North West London, within a few miles of Wembley Stadium, on the Sunday. 

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