My Hero

    What does it mean to be a hero? I think a hero is someone who goes out of his way to make others happy. My hero is Mr. Wright, my chorus(合唱队) teacher.

    When I was 12 years old, my grandparents passed away. I was really close to them, and losing them was the hardest thing I've ever had to1through. I couldn't eat, sleep, or think; I felt like I couldn't even breathe. It was as if my whole world had fallen down from under me, and I2into this huge hole of depression(抑郁).

    3I was battling depression, I was determined to make my high school years the best of my life. It was difficult to be 4, but I had to try. I joined Women's Choir. Mr. Wright was the choral director and he was so funny that the first day, I just knew I had made the best5of my life. As the year progressed, I loved chorus more and more. I began to smile again and really enjoy 6.

    Then one day that all changed. My friends—or those that I thought were my friends—started talking about me behind my back. I was7 , and I sat by myself. Mr. Wright came over and asked what was wrong. The look in his eyes told me that I could8him. Trying hard to9 back tears, I told him the whole story.

    When I finished, he nodded and told me, “If you never learn anything from me, learn this: No one is worth 10 your joy.” What Mr. Wright said really11a chord (心弦) in my heart. He 12 cared about me and what was going on. I'll never be able to thank him enough, because he not only saved me but has13every day of it since. Any time I feel like giving 14, I remember Mr. Wright's words and push forward.

    I'm proud to say that I 15 my depression, and I'm now a senior. I'm still a16of chorus, and now I'm also in the best choir at my school.

Mr. Wright is a hero 17 everyone he meets. He cares about every single person who walks through his door, and he loves what he does more than any other teacher I've known. That's18  he deserves to be Educator of the Year. He deserves the19 not just this year but every year.

    I'm glad I had the opportunity to meet you, Mr. Wright. You are an 20teacher, and I hope you realize that. You're my hero.

    As a kid I loved everything about school. I loved books1tests and homework. Most of all I longed to someday march down the aisle (通道) to receive my2.That seemed more appealing even than getting married. But at 15, I had to3because my parents4afford tuition. My hope of getting a diploma was dead.

Pretty soon, I married. I had three Children, and I thought: "There5my diploma."

    Even so, I wanted my children to be educated. But Linda, our youngest child, had juvenile arthritis (幼年型关节炎) in her6and knees, which made it7for her to function (活动) in a normal classroom.

    One day, I saw an ad in the newspaper for evening courses.

"That's the answer," I said to myself. Linda always feels8in the evening, so I'll just sign her up for night school.

Linda was busy9out enrollment (入学) forms when the secretary said: "Mrs Schantz, why don't you come back to10?"

I11: "There's no way! I'm 55!"

12he insisted, and before I knew what I had done, I was enrolled for classes in English and crafts. "This is only an experiment," I13him, but he just smiled. To my surprise, both Linda and I thrived (茁壮成长) in evening school. I went back again the next semester, and my grades14improved.

It was15going to school again, but it was no game. Sitting in a class full of kids was awkward,16most of them were respectful and encouraging. During the day, I still had loads of housework to do. But when I was down, Linda encouraged me. "Morn, you can't17now!" And when she was down, I18her. Together we saw it through. At last, I got my diploma19 my classmates voted unanimously (一致地) for me to be class speaker, and I got a ＄3, 000 college scholarship.

    Yes, Mom, I was late for school, but I got there20.

    No one is born a winner. People make themselves into winners by their own 1.

    I learned this lesson from a(n)  2 many years ago. I took the head 3job at a school in Baxley, Georgia. It was a small school with a weak football program.

    It was a tradition for the school's old team to play against the 4 team at the end of spring practice. The old team had no coach, and they didn't even practice to 5the game. Being the coach of the new team, I was excited because I knew we were going to win, but to my disappointment we were defeated. I couldn't 6 I had got into such a situation. Thinking hard about it, I came to 7 that my team might not be the number one team in Georgia, but they were 8me. I had to change my 9about their ability and potential.

    I started doing anything I could to help them build a little  10 .Most important, I began to treat them like 11 .That summer, When the other teams enjoyed their 12 ,we met every day and 13passing and kicking the football.

    Six months after suffering our 14on the spring practice field, we won our first game and our second, and continued to15.Finally, we faced the number one team in the state. I felt that it would be a 16for us even if we lost the game. But that wasn't what happened. My boys beat the best team in Georgia, giving me one of the greatest17my life！

    From the experience I learnt a lot about how the attitude of the leader can 18 the members of a team. Instead of seeing my boys as losers, I pushed and19them. I helped them to see themselves 20 ,and they built themselves into winners.

    Winners are made, but born.

    When I was 8, a gentleman came to my orphanage（孤儿院）and taught us how to do woodworking projects.

    I remember my first project—a small table. I was so 1 of it that I looked upon it as if I had created a(an) 2 . It was absolutely beautiful and it had taken me six weeks to 3it. I could hardly wait to give it to Mother Winters as a 4. She was the head mistress of our orphanage, who was always 5 with us.

    As the tables were not dry from the clear coating, the man told us to wait a few days before taking them to our dormitories. But I was just so 6and happy that I couldn't wait. I dashed out like a 7 , carrying my table, smiling from ear to ear.

    When I reached the dormitory I placed the little table beside my bed. I was 8it when Mother Winters entered. She walked over to the table. Running her hand 9 it, she noticed that it was still wet.

    "Were you 10to bring this home?" she asked.

    "No, ma'am," I 11 with my head down.

    She ordered me to throw the table out and so I did. After she left, I immediately opened the door to get it back. There was 12stuck all over. I brushed and cried, but it would not come off.

    I hid the table in my closet and never 13it. A year later while cleaning up, I gave the table to Mother Henderson, my houseparent（宿管员）, thinking that she would 14it away.

    Thirty years later at a reunion, I 15that Mother Henderson was living nearby, so I drove up to see her. We talked cheerfully for long. As I was about to leave, she asked me to come down to her16 to get something important. I followed her 17 into a dark corner. She picked something up. 18she turned around, I could see that she was holding a little table.

    Mother Henderson kept the little table that I had given up for lost so long ago.

    Today, I look at that table with bittersweet memories but full of 19to Mother Henderson, who kept it for a young orphan who tried very hard to 20 .

    When I entered Berkeley, I hoped to earn a scholarship. Having been a Straight-A student, I believed I could 1 tough subjects and really learn something. One such course was World Literature given by Professor Jayne. I was extremely interested in the ideas he2 in class.

    When I took the first exam, I was 3 to find a 77, C-plus, on my test paper, 4English was my best subject. I went to Professor Jayne, who listened to my arguments but remained5.

    I decided to try harder, although I didn't know what that 6 because school had always been easy for me. I read the books more carefully, but got another 77. Again, I 7 with Professor Jayne. Again, he listened patiently but wouldn't change his 8.

    One more test before the final exam. One more 9to improve my grade. So I redoubled my efforts and, for the first time 10the meaning of the word "thorough". But my11 did no good and everything 12as before.

    The last hurdle(障碍) was the final. No matter what 13I got, it wouldn't cancel three C-pluses. I might as well kiss the 14goodbye.

    I stopped working head. I felt I knew the course material as well as I ever would. The night before the final, I even15 myself to a movie. The next day I decided for once I'd have 16with a test.

    A week later, I was surprised to find I got an A. I hurried into professor Jayne's office. He 17 to be expecting me. "If I gave you the As you 18, you wouldn't continue to work as hard."

    I stared at him, 19that his analysis and strategy were correct. I had worked my head 20, as I had never done before.

I was speechless when my course grade arrived: A-plus. It was the only A-plus given. The next year I received my scholarship. I've always remembered Professor Jayne's lesson: you alone must set your own standard of excellence.

    It was many years ago. I was a1father on my way home to my wife and baby boy after spending all day2college classes. I had gone back to school to get a degree in education. I wanted to secure a3job that would help me to build a better life for my growing family. It was a two-hour round trip to the4, so every day I would pray for my 20-year-old car to5it all the way.

    As I started down a lonely stretch of highway about 12 miles from my home I6a car parked along the side of the road with its emergency flashers7. A small woman was struggling to8a flat tire. This was long before the age of cell phones9I knew that any other help might not arrive for a while. I10behind her car and offered to give her a hand. Her own hands were bruised(擦伤的)and11from struggling with the lug nuts(四方螺帽)and she had tears of frustration in her eyes. The lug nuts were rusty(生锈的)and12and the lug wrench(单向扳手)a little small, but after a while I got the flat off and the13tire on. As I said goodbye the little lady hugged me with tears of14this time. I waved and drove off a little embarrassed at her15. After all, it had just been one kind act.

    It took me a lot of years after that to learn the true16of one kind act. One kind act can change the world. One kind act can teach more17than a million words. One kind act can save a lost soul and heal(治愈)a18heart.

    Never pass up the possibility of using your own19to make this world a better place. Every day we are given the choice to be20or kind. Always choose to be kind.