Role Model for Inspiration

Nizee Roldan

Starting from a young age, children spend 13 years of their lives receiving education in preparation for their dream career. Some go to university to receive collegiate education for additional 4 years, and some exert even more effort to earn their masters and doctoral degree. All students are bound to experience the hardships of schooling: the long, tiring commute, the mountain-like pile of school-works, and having to take subjects they have difficulty with. Some recognize education as a duty and find it liberating when graduating. Bringing back the joy of learning comes from within; and having someone to look up to as an inspiration can be motivating for doing an excellent job in school and post-graduation. The following is the list of some widely known people and the stories behind their success. 

1. Albert Einstein

    People who have heard of Albert Einstein know him as a genius and his works are famous in the physics community. However, he didn't do well in school and was told by one of his teachers that he didn't amount to anything. His father's business was failing, and he had to study in a military boarding school that he soon ran away from. What set him differently was that he pursued and excelled in what he loved; mathematics and physics. When he took a qualifying exam at a university, he failed in all the subjects except math and physics. He would be accepted into the university because of his high marks in those two subjects after he finished formal schooling. He was not a perfect student, though. He skipped some of his classes and didn't have a good reputation. He couldn't get jobs aligned with his interests and profession, had difficulty supporting himself, and couldn't have a family he wanted. He was then employed as a clerk at a Swiss Patent Office, where he independently worked on his research papers. His works did not gain recognition from the year they were published. Still, after years of polishing, they became bases for explanations. He became a professor who explained his work in different universities and a researcher for the Institute of Advanced Studies. He continued to live with his passion, even on his deathbed.

2. Elon Musk

    Elon Musk is a famous engineer, entrepreneur, and CEO for different companies, including SpaceX, Tesla, SolarCity, and Paypal. He is well-known for his contributions to the automotive industry with his electric car designs like the self-driving feature and the detectors for crashes and theft; and to the space industry for his reusable rocket parts and the on-going project of Starlink, a global provider for internet connection. Before these successes, Elon Musk faced crises with his businesses. His most successful companies today, SpaceX and Tesla, almost went bankrupt in 2008. Even though he knew the probability of one company to survive was already low, he couldn't choose just one and invested in both, holding on to the hope of the less than 10% probability that he could save them. It is a miracle that both companies survived, and he was continued to be recognized for his innovative designs. He brought ground-breaking ideas to life, and these are what made him unique. He did not conform to the already established designs and thought of society's different issues that he can solve with his creations.

3.  Bill Gates

    Bill Gates is a programmer and entrepreneur, as well as the founder of Microsoft. From a young age, he had been reading encyclopedias and excelling in school. He was intrigued by computers and coding that even when he was still in high school, he created a program called "Traf-o-Data" with his friend, Paul Allen, who had the same passion for computers. He was expected by his parents to pursue law in college when he dropped out to pursue his dreams and interests, which led to the establishment of Microsoft with Allen. He treasured innovation and improvement for computer technology, which he applied to his company. He continued to develop his software into a higher quality product that was used worldwide and was perceived as a digital monopoly and faced numerous controversies. Microsoft defended against allegations and emerged victoriously, and continued to be run even today. Bill Gates stepped down as the CEO in 2014 to focus on his charitable organization.

4. Rose Parks

     The story of Rose Parks is known as the "Montgomery Bus Boycott" in 1955. She is an African-American civil rights activist who lived through an era with a fine line between the Whites and the Colored. The Colored had to sit at the back of the buses, and when she was a student, she and her fellow African-American students were forced to walk long distances. In contrast, White Americans had the privilege of sitting at the buses' front, and students could ride bus transportation to school. On December 1, 1955, the bus was full, and to accommodate the standing White American Citizens at the aisle, the Bus Driver forced Black Passengers to give up their seats. However, Parks didn't give up hers, which is a mark in history for the beginning of equal treatment between races. She was arrested for not conforming to the bus driver's demands, and the Colored united and created the Montgomery Improvement Association (MIA) to strengthen their efforts to fight racial discrimination. Several incidents that included violence against the Blacks occurred, but they continued fighting, and soon the segregation law that separated the Whites and the Blacks were lifted. Parks's nonconformist actions lead to one of the most important movements for the fight for equality and peace between races.

5. Serge Ibaka

    Serge Ibaka is a Congolese-Spanish Basketball Player who plays for the Toronto Raptor, the Champions for the NBA 2019. In order to get to where he is today, Serge Ibaka dedicated himself to Basketball. As a child, he lived in a community with a scarcity of food, water, and electricity and witnessed military oppression in his childhood. Even in the conditions he had to live in, he trained for becoming a basketball player and developed an all-rounder skill. Even in changing environments, from his hometown to France, Spain, then to America, he continued to thrive and adjusted each time for the sake of his dreams. With his success as a basketball player, he established his own charitable organization where they provide aid to communities for their basic needs, and children for their education; those of which he lacked when he was a child and is an inspiration to his fans to make the world a better place.

    Each of these people aimed to live the best out of their lives by pursuing their passions and beliefs, opening doors for those who, too, want to become the best version of themselves. Even when they were in desperate situations that challenged their ideas, their efforts through their experiences show that no matter how difficult life can be or how things aren't the way they want it to be, with persistence and determination, one can achieve anything; even when against all odds. As former President John F. Kennedy once said, "Don't pray for easy lives, pray to be stronger men."