1. How The Heroes In My Life Have Shaped My View of Heroism By: Marcia Cunning

2. My Definition of A Hero  Someone who does what most of us cannot or will not do.  This is personal and differs from person to person. One might view Caitlyn Jenner as a hero while another individual might look up to Donald Trump Caitlyn had the bravery to publicly come out as transgender. Trump expresses his views without any filter or political decorum.

3. In my essay I focused largely on female heroes such as Margaret Sanger because of the widely used definition of a hero Google Definition: “someone, typically a man, who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities” I think women, such as Sanger, display immense bravery and nobility fighting for unique causes. Often times these women must work twice as hard as men and are still overlooked or trivialized.

4. Getting My Metacognition On  The biggest influence in my way of thinking of a hero is, in fact the biggest influence in my life period. My mother has not only shaped my view of what it means to be a hero, she also exemplifies it. *Please ignore how atrocious I was as 12 year-old

5. My mother and I have both been influenced by strong & independent women in our family The top picture shows my grandma and great-grandma with my mother and her younger sister. My great-grandma raised my grandma as a single mom in the 40’s in a very conservative Mexico. She was looked down upon and ridiculed but still managed to give my grandma a good life. My Aunt (shown in the bottom photograph) is yet another strong female influence in my life. She created and owns a successful radio network in Dallas Texas. These are both examples of women who have done what many cannot do. Family Roots

6. Why My Mother is A Hero  She is a parent liaison at a Title One Elementary School that is 95% free & reduced lunch  She organizes yearly Thanksgiving and Christmas drives which provide families with meals and gifts that they otherwise might go without.  She helps an entire community which is, for the most part, struggling with various basic needs  One student she helped even asked her to be his godmother.  These are only a few examples of her heroism. The video linked below gives more information on her role as a parent liaison. http://dl.ebmcdn.net/fcps/mp4/insight/2013/is05_parentctr.mp4

7. Kids from her elementary school A community outreach program organized by my mom (right picture) Some Christmas gifts collected for the families The afterschool dance program started by my mom. They have just performed at the National Mall

8. Heroine’s Rule!  I have seen her work tirelessly to improve the lives of those in her community. She goes above and beyond to help students and their families. I have seen firsthand the immense effect her work has had on families and the community. The most important lesson she has taught me is that everyone has value and no one deserves to be overlooked or ignored. This mentality has shaped my view of a hero, especially the unsung heroes. I see heroes as those who step up to the plate when no one else will. The women in my life have exemplified this and influenced me drastically.