Heroes and a Personal Survey Form

“Most of us have role models, but what does it truly mean to have a hero? Hopefully our education here has opened our eyes to the way in which we look up to people, as well as who we look up to and aspire to be in our own lives” 

So in my upper-level management class called Strategic Thinking, my professor hands out a personal survey form for each of us to complete and have completed by 5pm tomorrow. I have had professors ask to do this before, but this one is a little different, not only because he asked us to attach a recent resume, but because of questions 3, 4 and 5 (see below). He specified that he had specific ideas and definitions of what a role model and what a hero is. To him, a role model is someone you have learned from and will either end up being equal too or more successful than them, such as a parent. However, a hero is someone who you will probably never be able to compare to because of the low likelihood that you will achieve the things they did, although it is commendable to aspire to be more like them, e.g. Gandhi or Martin Luther King. So in an effort to overcome a roadblock in answering these questions, I will complete part of my survey here (there were lots of other questions, but for the sake of brevity and not boring you with those details, I have omitted them).

1. What influenced you to come to this university? On campus visits, the ability to apply early decision, as well as an ability to study both English and Management.
2. Short and Long Term Career Plans:
   • Short Term: get a job at a pharmaceutical company after graduation
   • Long Term: become a leader in the industry and help improve it
3. Who has been your most influential role model to date and why? My parents. they have shown me what can be achieved through sweat and pure hard work. Additionally, they have shown me what it means to enjoy life.
   
4. If you have one, who is your hero or heroine, and why? Elie Weisel. His writing was pivotal in the understanding and acceptance of the Holocaust as a horrific period in modern history. His work has shown the need to reject the notions of violence and prejudice, which are themes consistent with other heroes such as Gandhi and MLK.
5. What book, scene (landscape, seascape, cityscape or other) or event has made the greatest impression on you, and why? The artwork of Pablo Picasso, particularly his paintings Guernica and Man with The Guitar. These paintings have always inspired me creatively and remind me that life is characterized by periods of ups and downs, of sadness and happiness, and war and peace.
6. What would you like to accomplish in this course? An understanding, appreciation and ability to apply a strategy to my business career and other moments in my life where I need to make strategic decisions.
   
7. A) What have you learned in college? and B) has this university met your expectations?
   A) I have learned that only you are the master of your own education. The university name on the diploma doesn’t assign a value to the education; it merely measures it’s quality. You have to put in time and effort outside of coursework in order to understand and appreciate the lessons taught in class. This university has met and exceeded these expectations by showing me that even though this university is a small community, we are part of a global community and we need to use the education we have learned here to make it better.
8. Other comments you would like this instructor to know: This survey is completely different than any I have taken before, and quite honestly, one that I have had to put the most thought into.

Of course I could have bullshitted my way through the survey and had it done and over with, but being the overachiever and person that I am, I decided to take the honest route and figure some things out about myself. The hero question was the toughest for me personally because I don’t really have someone that I call my hero; there are a lot of people that inspire me and I admire personally and professionally, but they may not be your typical heroes. I had to do a google search and came across a website called myhero.com which has listings of people that others have indicated as their heroes. MLK and Harriet Tubman I understand, but who knew Adam Sandler was the heroic type? (check it out here). I know Billy Madison was an inspirational story about one man’s quest to overcome adversity and prove himself to the world, but whatever, I won’t judge.

The scene of landscape was really hard too. There have been so many moments in books that I have read that have changed my life and so many places that I have been to which changed my life. So continuing my search, I looked through all of the myhero.com directories and came across the artists section where I read the name Pablo Picasso. And thats when the fireworks happened. If someone were to ask me what my favorite piece of art is, I would answer Guernica and Man with the Guitar. But for some reason, they didn’t ring a bell for me when I tried to answer the survey. I was thinking so hard about landscapes and what I could say about NYC and how it just puts a smile on my face to be there, how inspiring and full of life it is, yadda yadda yadda. All I needed was to step away from the question in order to see the answer I was looking for. In reality, all I should have done would be to look around my dorm room at the big posters on my wall; every year I hang Guernica above my desk to symbolize the fact that studying is my call to battle, my time to fight and work hard. And Man with the Guitar hangs on the wall alongside my bed to symbolize passion, as well as the solace and love in creativity.

What this survey really has done, aside from making me think about what matters to me most, was something they often teach you in college and in my business classes. What it showed me was that sometimes the right answer is right under your nose–you just have to look at the big picture. Literally.

I’d love to see your answers to the survey. Post them in the comments section and let’s compare!