My Hero

For my hero I have chosen my grandfather, Robert Price Sneed. My brother and I call him Pop or Poppy and others call him Bob Sneed. Bob is seventy-two years old and was born on September 4, 1940 in Durham, North Carolina. Bob started working at a service station and a filling station when he was growing up. During the summer, Bob worked on a fishing boat and then worked for a company called Moore Business Forms which he worked for twenty years and left. After, he started a company called Triangle Business Forms, he retired in 2008 and my dad has taken over and changed the name to MaraBull. Bob currently lives in Durham, North Carolina with his wife Sarah Sneed. Before he lived in Rocky Mount for four and a half years, and this is where my dad was born. Bob was born into a family with a father, mother, and two siblings, Ed and Betty Jean. His parents names were Carolyn Kime Sneed and Edward Price Sneed. Edward was a pharmacist at a drugstore and Bob wanted to be just like his father growing up. He got along with his siblings as a young boy and then he and his brother separated as they grew up. Unfortunately, the rest of his family has died. He went to Hope Valley Elementary School from first grade to tenth grade and Southern High School from eleventh grade through twelfth and the University of North Carolina for college. Bob played basketball at his high school and baseball, football, and basketball at his elementary school. In college he participated in water polo for one year. In the summertime Bob and his family lived on a 45-foot boat on the beach and he loved to ski and ride bikes. “I had a great life and was always busy,” said Bob. When Bob was a child his family had a dog named Bonnie and two cats. One was named Blacky and he does not remember the other. Their family also had three ponies for each kid. They had a nice fence and grassy area to keep the ponies in. Ronnie Strickland is Bob’s best friend, and they have known each other since first grade and still are friends! Bob told me that the best thing that has ever happened to him are his children and grandchildren. Some of the worst things that have happened to him is that his friend got killed in a hunting accident. Also, right after his daughter Beth was born, he had blood clots that almost cost him his life. The last thing that has happened to him is that my grandmother got cancer but was able to survive her tough times. Bob loved to read as a child, his favorite thing to read about were cowboys and Indians. He also loved to collect mini figures of cowboys and Indians. He still does that today.

 

My hero is very unique. He loves to joke around and play with family! Whenever I am sad or lonely, which I never am when I am around him, he will always be there to cheer me up! At dinner, Bob is always trying to find a way to make anyone laugh and is always telling stories. I love to go over to his house and have him make up and tell me stories. There is one story that I always laugh at, and it’s something with a fork, a hand and food! Another reason that Bob is unique is that he loves to go outside and garden! I love to go outside in his backyard and run around, I always wished that I had his backyard because I have always thought it was the coolest and most mysterious yard I have ever been in! This is why I think my hero is unique!

 

My hero is helpful. He is always asking people if they need help or any way he can assist them. Bob will never put down a chance to take my brother and me somewhere or to do something. Whenever my family goes out of town for the weekend or week, he and Sarah are always willing and excited to take care of my very energetic dog, a pug named Taco! Taco loves to go over to their house and run around in their awesome back yard and go on long walks! This is why I think my hero is one of the most helpful people in my world!

 

My hero is satisfied. He has “All he needs,” he told me in our interview, “Children, grandchildren, a daughter-in law, a wife, a house, and also food on their plates every day.” Bob is never greedy or selfish, and he always puts other people before himself. At dinners before he serves himself, everyone else who attends serves themselves first. He is happy because he does not need the material things in the world, he just needs family, friends, and a good dog. After talking with Bob, I have realized that all his memories happened with friends, and family members, not with the stuff that he got for Christmas or any other holiday. This is why I think my hero is satisfied.

 

The reason I have chosen Robert Price Sneed as my hero is for many reasons. He is always kind, helpful, funny, and so many more things I could list! He is and will always be one of my heroes in my life.. I love Facetiming him and listening to all of his stories that he tells. Some are funny and some are sad. I think it is fascinating how many interesting life experiences he has been through and continues to have. I could have chosen anyone else as my hero but no one could compare to my Poppy. I always have a blast wherever I am with him or when he comes over! I have had so much fun finding out cool and interesting stories about Bob Sneed, and he will always be a big part of my life and who I grow up to be!

 

My Hero

Here’s the inside:

And here’s the outside:

My hero and cousin, Hunter Bowman, is 20 years old and was born in Savannah, Georgia on December 19, 1992. He has lived there ever since then, except for college. His mother is named Catherine, his father is named Cam, and his sister is named Sarah. Hunter had a very happy childhood. He enjoyed making model planes and playing football, basketball and soccer. He loved to read and his favorite book was The Hobbit by J.R.R.Tolkien. His best friends were Raul Buelvas and Jimmy Brauner. Sadly, Raul died of cancer on December 25, 2011. Hunter’s favorite family vacation was a trip to Africa in 2012. He remembered all of the awesome African animals such as the lion. Hunter was a great student. His pets have been Luke the dog, Claude the cat, Leia the dog, and a shrimp. One of the best moments in his life is the time when he learned how to wrestle. He also has many good character traits which make him my hero. Here are a few.

One characteristic that Hunter Bowman has is perseverance. When his very good friend had cancer, he and a lot of other people got together and shaved their heads. His friend lost his hair because of the medicine he took, so Hunter and his friends decided that it would make him feel more comfortable if they all got rid of their hair too. They used it as a fundraiser for his friend’s cancer. I think this was a very brave thing for him to do because it required him to have lots of confidence and perseverance. Another thing that Hunter did was become an Eagle Scout. This is the top rank in boy scouts and only 5% of boy scouts make it to Eagle Scout. As you can see this would take lots of perseverance to achieve. Hunter is on the Vanderbilt football team but he hasn’t gotten to play in a football game yet. He is still training hard with the team with the hope that one day he will be able to play in a game. This, of course, also takes lots of perseverance. As you can see this is an outstanding character trait in my cousin, Hunter.

 

Hunter is a very generous person. He is always willing to share. For example he shared lots of his cookies with my sister and me. He also raised money to build a study place for homeless people. He helped build it and the whole thing was organized by him. It takes generosity to give that much of your time helping others. He also is always willing to play football or do other stuff with me, even if he has other things to do. I had a very long homework assignment, and he helped me get it done even though it took a long time. Hunter is always looking for ways to help even if it means a whole lot of hard work. Hunter is one of the most generous people I know.

Hunter is also very determined. If he sets out to do something he will definitely do it. As I told you earlier, he has trained very hard with the hope that one day he will be able to play in a game with the Vanderbilt football team. He used to build model planes, he told me, even if they were very hard to build. He also fishes for hours on end, even if it takes that long to catch a fish. I think that fishing takes lots of determination. He has trained his dog for a long time because he is obviously determined to have a good, obedient dog. One reason he is so determined is because both his parents have been very determined people. He never, ever gives up.

My cousin, Hunter, has influenced my life by giving me someone to look up to. He has inspired me to help others and never, ever give up. Without his inspiration, I would never be able to finish a hard homework problem or work hard when I am challenged. Hunter has always been nice to me and he has given me ideas for science experiments and school projects. He has taught me to be determined and generous with other people. He has also taught me good manners which can be very useful at parties. He has inspired me to give to Urban Ministries. Urban Ministries is an organization that gives food and supplies to homeless people. I admire my cousin Hunter and I am so lucky to have him in my life.

 

My Hero by Ellen Cochran

This is a copy of my Hero story. My hero was Debbie Suggs, my first grade teacher.

When I first heard that my English class was doing a hero project, I knew my hero had to be someone special. Someone who really meant something to me. I went through a list of names in my head, but there was only a few that I kept coming back to. One of them was Debbie Suggs. She is kind, warm-hearted, and gracious. I knew at once that she was the one special person. So, my hero is Debbie Suggs. Mrs. Suggs was my first grade teacher, and is at the top of my “favorite teacher” list even today. She is now 58 years old, and is still teaching in the very same first grade class that she taught when I was in first grade. Mrs. Suggs was welcomed into the world on December 18, 1954 in Richmond, Virginia. When Mrs. Suggs was five, she moved to Durham, North Carolina, and has lived there ever since. She grew into a caring, happy child that would one day change the lives of so many young children. When she was a girl, Mrs. Suggs was scared to go to school each morning. She would hide on the sidewalk when the bus came. Strangely, she learned to like school in the end and now loves to teach and be at school every day. That’s only a bit of her history, but before anything else, let me tell you why I picked Debbie Suggs for my hero.

First, Mrs. Suggs has perseverance in everything she does. When she was a kid, Mrs. Suggs was a big Duke basketball fan, but there was one player in particular who she really liked. His name was Dick DeVenzio. In fact, she told me that she wanted to meet Dick one day and marry him! She did not ever give up on this goal, and her perseverance paid off. One time, when Mrs. Suggs was in high school, Dick DeVenzio came to her school to talk to her class. At first she didn’t think it was him, but when she found out it was, she got to shake his hand and talk to him. Her goal had been accomplished! Well, almost. She never did marry Dick, but she persevered and got to shake his hand. Overall, I think this is one of her many good features that makes her a hero!

Second, Mrs. Suggs is determined. Mrs. Suggs had a happy childhood. Everyone went to public school, and no one really had many belongings that they had to worry about all of the time. When she was a child, she always knew she wanted to make a difference in the world. She loved to play sports to pass the time in those days. She played soccer, volleyball, and basketball. She loved sports but she realized that there were not many sports for girls when she was young. She knew that girls could do just as much as boys if they put their minds to it. She kept playing sports and did not allow the fact that most of her teammates were boys bother her. From what Mrs. Suggs told me, I believe she still loves sports. Most importantly, she wants to continue to make a difference and make the world around her a better place.

Finally, Mrs. Suggs is adventurous. When she was a young girl, Mrs. Suggs did not like to read. She had trouble with it and was not very good. Reading made her afraid of going to school every morning and getting on the bus when it came to pick her up. She really tried to learn though, and she wanted to be good at it. One year, Mrs. Suggs had a great teacher who helped her to learn to read. She ended up loving to read and, in fact, Mrs. Suggs was the wonderful teacher who got me hooked onto reading and now, I love to read just like her. Those are three characteristics that Mrs. Suggs has that makes her a hero.

Mrs. Suggs has really influenced me and the way I live not just in first grade, but also over the years. She told me, “For the first two weeks of first grade, Ellen, you reminded me of myself when I was young. You were shy and didn’t have confidence, but after those first two weeks, you were in full blossom and you seemed to me like the perfect student.” She encouraged me to read and put others first, and she has always supported me to do my best. Mrs. Suggs’s lessons have stayed with me my whole life and taught me to be the kind of person I am today. I can’t think of anything better a hero can do for you. That is why I chose Mrs. Suggs to be my hero.

This is a picture of my Hero book.

 

My hero project

On March 5th, 1968 David Hoffman was born in Denver, Colorado. In my opinion that was a great day in the mile-high city. However, his parents divorced when he was four and when he was seven he moved with his mother and sister to Buffalo, New York. My dad missed his father and he missed the mountains, and he didn’t like it in Buffalo where it was cold all the time. He was a good student, particularly in Math and in 1986 he graduated from Hamilton College in the top 20 percent of his class. “One of the best things that ever happened to me was when I met your mother,” he said. David Hoffman currently works to support his family, has a loving wife, and two sons.

My dad is loyal. He is loyal because he supports his entire family and works at a very stressful job. Even so, he has always said that you should live your life as you think is best. Another example of his loyalty is that he believes that family and country are two of the most important things in life. An example of his loyalty to America is that he works in the top branches of the government with the National Security Agency and Homeland Security. Being there when your family needs you is also one of my dad’s most important traits.

My dad is strong. An obvious example of that is simply this; his parents divorced when he was four and his mom and his sister moved when he was seven. Think about that! Imagine, you are seven years old not really understanding why you can’t see both your parents and then you move halfway across the United States. You have to adapt to an entirely different life and keep on moving on. In my opinion that takes strength. Also, throughout his life my dad could always have complained, taken the easy path and maybe not ended up being who he is now. One thing I know for certain about my dad is that no matter how hard the going is, he will keep moving on.

My dad is generous. He is generous with his time, being a sports coach, a Boy Scouts leader, and a Sunday School leader. He is generous at his job. When many people come to him for help and advice, he listens carefully and makes a decision regarding what he knows and what he thinks is right. He is generous with his family as well. I can not name a time when my dad has treated me unfairly. He is also the first one to apologize if he makes a mistake. That can be hard for grown ups! Finally, he is generous because he will always go above and beyond for someone close to him who truly needs it.

My dad has had a big impact on my life. He taught me the basics for finding right from wrong. I have had problems that I was unsure of how to fix, like what to say to a mean kid, or should I help my best friend find the answers on a test? Every time I come to my dad seeking answers, I have always left feeling like it was answered to its fullest extent. My father has nurtured me, cared for me and helped me grow up. When I am sad, he will comfort me and try to make me feel better. When I am sick he will hover over me and constantly ask me “Do you need anything?” Once when I had swine flu, my dad came into my room and stayed with me until I fell asleep. Lastly, my dad has always been there for me. Whenever I need him or wherever I am, I know he is always right there behind me. So, I would say that without my dad I would not be the same person I am today.

 

 Hero Book

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My Hero By: Aneesha M

My Hero: Coach Grace Silva By: Aneesha

Grace Silva was born on March 31 in Nigeria. She is currently 24 years old and is agraduate student at UNC. At a young age she had three older brothers and played a lot ofsports including basketball, soccer, swimming, tennis and many other sports. Her dad hada Ph.D. in Physical Science and Health so many sports were open to her. Growing up inBaltimore, Maryland, she liked to be funny and loved to go on vacations to Busch Gardensand Washington, DC. She loved reading in her free time. Her favorite books were theBabysitter’s Club Book Series and anything written by C. S. Lewis. Her favorite subjectwas math. She has earned many awards including Maryland State Basketball Championship and Meyerhoff Scholarship Award, which she said were the two best thingsthat happened to her. For undergraduate school, she was admitted to the University ofMaryland School of Medicine for her strong academics and Savannah College for heramazing basketball playing from high school. She took the scholarship to the University ofMaryland saying, “Academics are more important than sports,” and afterwards decided togo to the University of North Carolina for graduate school. She currently works as agraduate student researcher at the Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center. She hasworked extremely hard in her life and her own personal hero is Ben Carson; aneurosurgeon at John Hopkins University. Grace is an amazing person and here is why sheis my hero.

Grace Silva has a lot of perseverance. She never gives up and keeps going. She hasfaith and hope in everybody and it makes me feel like I could and should reach higher.When she is around, I feel like I should never give up and keep on trying no matter whathappens. As my basketball coach, she inspires me in my everyday life to continue on andto never stop. If one approach doesn’t work, she will get around it and find another waybecause she doesn’t want to quit. She doesn’t just stop because something is difficult. Shewill work hard until she achieves her goals. I really admire her for this trait.

My hero Grace is also patient. She is patient because on my basketball team, we messup a LOT. But Grace moves on and tries to help us improve. Instead of yelling andcriticizing like some coaches do, she starts us over and has us practice again. Grace isbeyond patient. She controls her emotions really well and is not the person who holdsgrudges. If we can’t do something during basketball practice, she won’t move on until everysingle person on my team gets it. She does that because she cares about every single oneof us and doesn’t want anyone to fall behind. She takes things slowly and makes sureeverybody finishes. She will never give up on anybody. I admire Grace for her patience andhope I can be like that one day.

Last but not least, Grace is caring. She cares about everybody and their feelings andmakes sure everybody is okay. Also, Grace always boosts my confidence and makes mefeel better whenever I see her. She pays attention to every person on the team. If we are atpractice and somebody gets injured, she will help them and make sure they are okaybefore continuing. I respect and appreciate Grace for her caring attitude toward our team. She is unique in that she puts others before herself.

Coach Grace has had a huge impact on my life. She pushes me to do my best andrecognizes my potential. She finds ways for me to improve before I can even think about itmyself. As my basketball coach she works hard to help me reach my full potential. I feel likeI can tell her anything and she will understand. I’m glad that I’ve met her because she bringsthe best out of people especially on my team and never gives up. She sets a good
example for everyone who knows her by working really hard in her life. This is why I choseCoach Grace as my hero; because she cares, understands and makes me feel like I can
do anything I want if I just try. She has a special connection to me and I really love that shebelieves in me. She is more than just a basketball coach and I love that she is in my life.

 

My hero

 

My hero is my Mom. On the 25th of August, my Mom was born in San Diego, California. Her childhood was very interesting. She enjoyed swimming, cooking and quilting. Her family traveled all the time all over the country and to other countries. She would live for a month in a desert in Mexico off the land and then move somewhere else equally unique. She always dreamed of living in a foreign country. After she graduated from Stanford, she became a Chief Financial Officer for a company. Then she moved to a Idaho and then to North Carolina. She gave birth to my brother in California and to me in Idaho. Her current job is being the best mom in the world and that is why my mom is my hero.

My Mom is very generous. She sends me to Durham Academy so that I can get a great education. She gives clothes and toys to a church who gives the items to people who are less fortunate than us. My Mom is also generous because when she was the Chief Financial Officer for a company, she created a military outreach program. Sometimes people who came back from service in the military needed help with financial issues and my mom’s program gave them the support they needed for free. My mom’s generosity is something I admire most about her.

My mom is a very determined person. When she sets her mind on something there is nothing you can do to change it. For example, when we were living in Idaho, there were no seat belt laws for children. So she got in a group and convinced the state make a law for children and seatbelts. Also, when she was working as a CFO, she started a customer satisfaction program that took her a year to create. Not only did is improve the business’s service but it also won a national award. My mom is very determined to set a good example and keep my brother and I healthy. That, she says, is the thing she is most determined to do.

My mom is also a very unique person. When she was a kid, her dad raced in the Baja 500, which is a 500 mile car race. She would camp for weeks in the Mexican desert surviving off the land in a tent. Her father and her brothers used to go hunting for dove and quail and when they got back, it was her job to clean and cook them. How many people have that kind of childhood memory? Another thing that makes her unique is that one of her dreams was to live in a foreign country. That never happened but she did get to have children and she says that is more than a dream. That is why I think that my hero is unique.

My Mom has made a huge impact on my life. She is always there for me whenever I need help. She always signs me up for the sports I want to do and makes me finish my commitments. She is always very happy and has a smile for me. She has a solution for about everything, so no matter how much trouble you are in, she will always help you in a happy and cheerful way. She sends me to Durham Academy so that I can be a smart, successful person in life. My mom is everything to me and that is why I chose her as my hero.

 

Hero Book

My hero is James Paul Cobb. He started his life in 1947 at the start of WWII in Mcalester Oklahoma. He had a brother who was a real pain to him because he made fun of him. Once, he grabbed the phone and heard about the bike he wanted from Santa. He immediately told James and was very happy when he told him. He also had a Cocker Spaniel that mysteriously disappeared one day and never returned. That happened when he was 13 years old. His best friend was his cousin, a boy named Billy Frank. He had very nice parents but in school he never had to go to kindergarten. His happiest moment is apparently when I was born. Fortunately, nothing bad really happened to him. He never in his life as a child had a vacation! Can you believe that? Let me tell you why I chose James Cobb as my hero.

James Cobb is a very generous person. He is very generous with his time, especially for a good cause. An example is when he volunteered In the pharmacy at the national Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland. He worked at the Bethesda Naval Hospital to help out when the U.S.S. Comfort was deployed. Just so you will know, the U.S.N. S. Comfort is a Mercy-class hospital ship that does not carry any offensive weapons. Firing on a Mercy-class ship is in violation of the Geneva Convention and would be considered a war crime. Another example of James’s generosity is when he volunteered in a FEMA command center during Hurricanes Andrew and Iniki. He is also very generous with information. Whenever I need to know something for school or if I just want to ask about something random, he comes right out and explains the whole thing with a diagram! My dad is really generous when it comes to helping others but this is just one characteristic out of many that made me choose my dad as my hero.

James Cobb is my hero because he is smart. He has a degree in education and pharmacy. He was a high school Chemistry and Physics teacher. Later he became a pharmacist and worked in the military reaching a high rank and receiving many awards. His rank in the military was the Eagle. He left the military after 30 years of service. He told me the reason he left was if you did not want to go higher than an Eagle you had to leave after your 30th year of service. I am proud of my dad for how smart he is!

James Cobb is my hero because he is really nice. He helps people when they need him. He has helped our neighbors several times. Like one time he helped our neighbor grill steaks. Another time, he helped out our landscapers. He gave absolute precise directions helping the landscapers know what to do. He also helps me with problems in school that I don’t understand. If I don’t understand something on homework, he explains how to do it with an example. He does not tell me the answer. James Cobb is very nice and never complains about helping me or other people.

James Cobb is a true leader, which is another reason why he is my hero. Whenever my mom gets sick, he goes immediately in charge. He replaces mom by doing 75% of the work mom usually does. He has me check on mom almost every hour. He also does the cooking. Whenever mom and I go to Maryland, he keeps running the house even when mom and I are gone, because when we get back he makes sure everything is clean and everything goes back to normal.

James Cobb has had a real impact on my life! Of course, he’s my dad and dads have a lot of influence on who you are. But he also is very helpful and gives me lots of information. I do not think I would be the person I am today without him. He has been a part of my life since I was very little and that really helped me later as I grew up. He is a real hero to everyone who knows him well and especially a hero to me.

 

My Hero Story, By Caity B

My Hero Book

My hero is my mom, Yuet Berry. She was born on November 30th, 1966. She spent most of her childhood in the country part of Hong Kong, China with her one older brother and her one younger brother. When she lived in Hong Kong, it was a territory of England. Hong Kong was about to become a part of China again and her parents wanted a better life. Her father moved to New York City when she was seven. As a child she said she was very quiet and shy. When she was in Elementary School she would barely talk because she wasn’t good at speaking English since she always spoke Chinese. She didn’t have many hobbies because she spent most, if not all, of her time working. My mom would either always have to watch her younger brother or work at her Dad’s restaurant or doing school work, which she barely ever had time for. When she was in Middle School she won a medal for having the highest grade point average in Spanish. When my mom was in college, she went to Temple University in Philadelphia and got her degree in Occupational Therapy. She worked as an Occupational Therapist for fifteen years until she moved to North Carolina. She currently is a substitute preschool teacher and a full time mom. My mom is a great person and I am about to tell you why.

 

One reason I admire my mom is because she is helpful. If I’m having any type of problem she is always there to give me advice or to help me with any concerns I have. My mom has always been there to help me and my sister with homework, which I have been thankful for at many different times. She isn’t only helpful to me, but on many different occasions I have seen her help a stranger for no reason other than to be nice. When I was in the fourth grade at our school’s chorus performance, there was a two year old girl choking on a lollipop and as soon as my mom noticed she was choking and unable to breathe, she ran over to girl and started slapping her back until the girl spit out the lollipop. Another time we were at the airport and there was a confused elderly lady who was having trouble getting around. She looked lost so my mom went over and helped the lady find where she needed to be and brought her back to her husband. Later that day I asked her why she helped her and she told me that the lady appeared to have dementia and needed help. She recognized it because she was an Occupational Therapist. My mom does many helpful things for me each day and without that I would be lost. This isn’t her only good character trait, she has so many more.

 

Another great character trait of hers is that she is very supportive of my sister and me. If I ever have anything from a piano recital to a school performance I can always count on her to be there watching and encouraging me. She is one of the only parents I know that is always there no matter what she has to do. She can always know what to say or do to make me feel better if I’m having a bad day. My mom always gets me where I need to be and she has made many sacrifices to do so. I appreciate this about her because if she wasn’t as supportive as she is, I would not be who I am today.

 

One other wonderful character trait of hers is that she can be very patient. Since my mom currently works as a substitute pre-school teacher, I know that must be a tough job which requires a person who is patient. Pre-schoolers can be wild and a pain sometimes. I also know there must be many times when my sister and I are fighting and arguing and she just tries to calm us down, even though I know she would probably like to yell at both of us. My mom works very hard at taking care of my sister and me and we probably drive her crazy all the time, but she has a great way of dealing with it. If she yelled every time we annoyed her all she would do is yell, but my mom is patient with us and I think that is a great character trait about her. My mom has many great character traits and these are only some of many.

 

My mom has had a huge impact on my life. For as long as I lived, she has always been there for me. She has pushed me to do my best my whole life. Whenever I don’t feel in the mood to do my homework or to go to piano lessons, she always encourages me to go, but not to be mean. I know she wants to help me because she knows that if I skip lessons or don’t do homework, I won’t accomplish anything. My mom also can’t be unhappy. She always stays smiling no matter what the situation is. My mom has been a big part of my life. She is a wonderful person and this is why she is my hero.

My Hero Dan C.

For LA class, we made pop-up books on our heroes. My hero was my dad. In the scene, I made him operating on a person on a table. Here is the description along with two pictures of my book.

My Hero: Flip Clifford

by: Dan Clifford

My hero is my dad. My dad, Flip Clifford was born on April 5 in New Jersey. He is currently 45 years old. Currently, my dad is the Medical Director of Triangle Orthopedics in Durham, NC. He also operates on hips and knees. My dad lives with his family which includes my sister Lexi, my mom, Dr. Sue Clifford, my dogs, Cooper and Jake and me. We live in Durham, North Carolina. My dad has lived in New Jersey and in Florida. When he was little, he went to Brookside Elementary School. Right before he went to middle school, he moved to Florida and went to a middle school called Baypoint. My dad was very athletic. He played soccer, basketball, baseball, and ran track and field. My dad didn’t get very much free time when he was young because of homework and all of his sports practices. My dad’s biggest dream was to play baseball and soccer in college. One of those dreams came true because he did play baseball for Davidson College. My dad was a very good student and liked to read the “Black Stallion” Series when he was young. Now, my dad hangs out with me whenever he can. This is a little about my amazing dad. Here are some of his heroic character traits.

My dad is very caring. He is willing to do anything to make me happy. He tries to get home very quickly so that he can meet the needs of our family. My dad is not selfish at all. My dad is willing to talk to me about anything and teach me what he is best at. My dad would rather play lacrosse out in our back yard with me than play a round of golf with his friends. My dad’s free time revolves around my family. My dad is caring to his patients also. He spends all of his day at work repairing his patients’ hips and knees. He has made his life’s work about caring for other people and I respect him very much for that.

My dad is very respectful to everyone he spends time with. He is always respectful to his partners at work. That is why they want to work with him. He always tells me to treat other people the way I would like to be treated, which is the Golden Rule. He also tries to make a great first-impression on any person he meets. My dad is also greatly respected by other people. This is another heroic trait that makes him a great role model and my hero.

My dad is also very encouraging. He always encourages me to do the best I can and have fun. He is very enthusiastic about my sports. He is the loudest one cheering at my lacrosse games. My dad also encourages me to become whatever I want to be when I grow up. He is never telling me I have to this or I have to do that when I grow up. My dad supports my choices in life and I really appreciate that characteristic in him.

My dad has influenced me in many ways. He always shows respect to every person he meets. He tries to be a great role model for me all the time. He also tells me to treat people the way you would want to be treated. My dad takes time out of his busy day to meet the needs of his family members. He always tries as hard as he can to make me happy and to put a smile on my face. My dad is always surrounded by other people by he is such an amazing person. Every one of his partners at work respects him and want to do their surgeries with him. His patients trust him and request him for their complicated surgeries. He has a very strong reputation as a doctor and as a person. To me, he is a great role model, an amazing dad and my hero.

 

My Hero By Madison K.

My hero is Krista Lynn Lee who was my teacher at the Hill Center. She was born onAugust 8, 1978 in Pittsburgh, PA. She grew up in a town known as the “Steel City,” becausethere are many factories that produce steel. Her grandfather was one of the founding engineersof US Steel and her father currently, and for the past 30 years has worked for ASK,AmericanSheer Knife, where they produce knives to cut steel in factories in Pittsburgh. He is the presidentof a national association for similar organizations. Her mother was a school bus driver for manyyears.

Growing up, Ms. Lee’s sister, Lauren, was her biggest inspiration. Her sister was alwaysat the “top” of her class and seemed to excel at anything she tried. She always said that one dayshe would be a professional ballerina. Well, she made it! Lauren trained at the School ofAmerican Ballet in New York City, then began her career at the Southwest Pacific Ballet inSeattle, Washington. After two years, she returned home and danced for the Pittsburgh BalletTheatre. Lauren danced there for several years and during this time she stopped from a injury.She decided to go to Georgetown University in Washington DC and became interested injournalism and communication. Her perseverance and determination continue to inspire Ms. Leeto this day.

In stark contrast to her sister, Ms. Lee’s life was not so easy. She was held back inKindergarten due to her lack of academic progress. By second grade, it was found that she haddyslexia. Reading and writing were very laborious for her and therefore school was a struggleand daily challenge. Ms. Lee’s special education teacher, Mrs. Devorak, was outstanding. Shewould not give up on her and gave her strategies to compensate for her dyslexia. Thesestrategies are even useful to this day. Ms. Lee learned to read and to use her “disability” as an“ability” to do many things other kids could not. She taught Ms. Lee that nothing would be easyfor her, but to persevere and she would always succeed.

By middle school, Ms. Lee began to excel at academics as well as sports. She joined theschool swimming team and began grueling practices which entailed two swimming practicesdaily from 4:30­6:30 am and 2:30­4:30pm) followed by “dryland” training from 4:30­5:30pm, thenweight training from 5:30­6:30 pm. She would go home, do her homework and eat, then go tobed, only to do it again the next day. This continued through her senior year in high school!

In Ms. Lee’s sophomore year, she became interested in Science. Ms. Lee worked with her scienceteacher and entered the Pennsylvania Junior Academy of Science for her physics project. Shecompeted at the district level and went on to the state level where she won best in state! Thiswas such an honor for her! During Ms. Lee’s junior year, she was chosen to attend thePennsylvania State University’s of Women in Science and Engineering programs. She loved it!They did many neat things, such as dissecting a lamb’s heart and making pacemakers inaccordance with their own heart’s rhythm. These experiences enriched her life. Senior year wasanother big year. She won homecoming queen that year and was voted best personality, andworst driver. Ms. Lee continued with her swimming and academic schedule. The training paid offas she competed in state championships for swimming; she won first in state! Ms. Lee receiveda scholarship to attend Duquesne University the following year. She attended DuquesneUniversity for five years. The first three years, she majored in science in hopes of becoming aphysical therapist. Ms. Lee changed her mind one day during physiology class when they wereto dissect human cadavers. Following many deep thoughts and self awareness, she changedher major to education. She spent the next two years taking 18­21 credits a semester to get adual degree in Special Education (K­12) and Elementary Education (K­6) with a special focus onbehaviors and autism. While in college, Ms. Lee worked in a group home for adults with specialneeds as well as with the Autism Society of Pittsburgh. Following graduation, she accepted ajob in Carteret County, North Carolina. She worked as a 2nd grade teacher, then moved intospecial education. After seeing the need, Ms. Lee began a school for students (K­8) with severedisabilities and mental health challenges. They used the Hill Center Methodology for theiracademics and combined it with cognitive behavioral therapy. After their first year of opening,they received their end of grade test scores. None of their students had passed the test in thepast. There was a big celebration as all of the students passed that year and for the first timeever. This was a defining moment in Ms. Lee’s life! She worked as principal / teacher of herschool (Stepping Stones) for three years. During that time, her son (Luke) was diagnosed withAutism. Unfortunately, there were no services for him in their county or surrounding counties.The Hill Center asked Ms. Lee to come teach in Durham. She jumped at the opportunity as shenot only loves and believes in The Hill Center’s methodology, but it was also an opportunity forher son to be successful in school as well as receive the services he needs. They are boththriving, Ms. Lee in her job as a teacher at The Hill Center, but also Luke in his school,community, and in life.

Ms. Lee optimistically says, “Always do the thing you think you cannot do,” a quote fromEleanor Roosevelt. Ms. Lee demonstrates encouragement everyday to her student and peers.When she first started teaching me in 5th grade, I knew that her helpful words for me went to themoon and back. Ms. Lee is constantly cheering me on when I am stuck. She has helped meovercome my learning difficulties and I am always encouraged by her to keep going. With herinspirational words I go a long way. Without Ms. Lee supporting me I would not be where I am inthe world today. Just her presence makes me happy.

Ms. Lee is a very brilliant gal. She demonstrates brilliance when she won second place inthe state for her physics project. Ms Lee has degrees in education with an emphasis on human behavior and psychology. She understands the way people think and can assist people to havea better quality of life. I see this when she can prove anything from science to math to history andback. This teacher of mine is brilliant, maybe even smarter than Albert Einstein in a different kindof way.

Ms. Lee perseveres every day. She helps her son persevere and overcome his austim.Ms. Lee helps her students overcome any hurdle that presents itself. She persevered whenovercoming her own learning difference growing up. Even when people doubted her, she wasdetermined she would exceed. Ms. Lee has perseverance like no other.

Ms. Lee has had a big impact on my life. She helped me in math when I was in publicschool. She taught me math in different ways than I’d ever learned before. She helped me likemath for the first time. She has been the only teacher in math I have worked well with. Ms. Lee isthe greatest hero anyone could ask for, and she is my hero.