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In a well written paragraph of 6 - 8 sentences, explain who your childhood hero was and why. Would you still define this person as a hero today? Would you consider yourself a hero? Explain.

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My childhood hero was Mr. Feeny from Boy Meets World. He was my hero because I saw the difference he made in the lives of Shawn, Corey, Topanga, and Eric. He was a big inspiration to me in becoming a teacher. I would still view him as a hero today because of the kind and generous actions he took. I don't know if I would consider myself a hero; it feels weird to give myself that kind of credit.

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My childhood hero was Robin Hood (the fox) in the Disney animated version. I was so intrigued by the fact that Robin was an outlaw who was actually doing so much good, which helped introduce me to the complexities of heroes in general. We so often assume an oversimplified definition of hero means they are perfect and uncomplicated, so I appreciate that introduction to a different depth at a young age. I would still define this character as a hero today because he is doing moral good, even though he was going against the pressure of the higher ups in society. I have never really considered if I personally was or was not a hero, but I think I am when I consider the hero's journey. My life has definitely gone through the coil of rounds of the hero's journey, and I like to think that with each cycle I am ending up at a little bit of a higher plane.

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Robin Hood and Little John (Disney Robin Hood)

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Make or find animated gifs like Robin Hood and Little John (Disney Robin Hood) on gifs.com

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When I was a little kid, I was obsessed with after school TV shows, and my absolute favorite was Saved by the Bell. My childhood hero, without a doubt, was Zack Morris. He was the epitome of cool -- he could stop time, he had tons of friends, people seemed to love him, and he never really got in trouble despite his mischief. Looking back, I would not consider Zack a hero anymore. It turns out, he was maybe kind of a bad person and friend. I'd probably need to rewatch a few episodes to be sure. I would not consider myself a hero, either -- not for any negative reasons. I just think "hero" is such a weighty idea. I think "pretty good teacher" is probably good enough for me. Maybe if I could freeze time...

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One of my childhood heroes was Solid Snake from the Metal Gear series. In the video games, I thought it was cool to be a super-soldier who infiltrated military bases to foil the plans of the bad guys. One thing that made the game compelling is that as a player, I had a choice of fighting the bad guys with lethal force or with non-lethal means. I thought it was more challenging to play the game using only non-lethal weapons. For an even bigger challenge, I could also try to play through the whole games without getting noticed by the bad guys. Another memorable part of the game was the boss battles. Each boss had a pattern you needed to figure out to beat the boss. When I look back, those games were full of heavy-duty themes, like nuclear proliferation, the implications of nanotechnology, and censorship in the age of social media.

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My childhood hero was Woody from Toy Story. I was obsessed with all Toy Story movies and he always seemed to come to everyone's rescue. He was the leader of the pack, and rallied the team in times of need. Woody's persistent and can-do attitude saved the rest of the toys from many challenges. He did have a bit of inner conflict with Buzz, but in the end, he still had everyone's best interest at heart.

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My childhood hero was Kiki from the movie Kiki's Delivery Service. I thought she was the coolest little witch--she left home at 12 (or 13?) to fly on her broomstick with her cat to live in a brand new city. I loved how independent and adventurous she was. She learned how to live on her own, get a job, help others, and create a new life for herself even through obstacles. She also ate pancakes on the daily. I definitely would still consider Kiki a hero today; she takes risks and is always reflecting on what it means to be independent. She learns from her mistakes and realizes the importance of asking for help, which I think are super important values in a hero! I'm not sure if I'd consider myself a hero; if I'm aligning myself to Kiki's heroic qualities, maybe I am?

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My childhood hero was Hermione Granger. I loved how she used her intelligence as a superpower and was (less) inclined to jump in and do something without thinking. She also was not afraid to be herself and stand up for what she believed in. I think I would still consider her to be a hero for all of those reasons. To me it is still admirable to use intelligence and perseverance to stand up for what you believe in. I could see myself as a hero in some regards because I have overcome struggles in my life and "leveled up" who I am over the years.

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I think most kids go through a crazy obsession phase with something... bugs, dinosaurs, welll.... mine lasted from 3-5th grade and it was with Sacagawea. I read everything about her I could find, including a quazi-romance novel that was over 1000 pages and for sure not appropriate for me to read. Looking back, I think I loved that she was a knowledge holder-- there weren't a lot of female role models like her -- at least not who I got to learn about. She led the way through such hardship... with a baby no less! I think her story does align with a hero's journey and I do define her as a hero, even though we certainly would view her as oppressed, and possibly captive. Its complicated but I still think she is incredible. I'm not very much a hero but I still try to be brave in small ways.

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Growing up, I was infatuated with superheroes. I wanted to be one, and even dreamed about one day magically receiving super powers. My favorite super hero was Superman. I loved that he was a real good guy. I Liked him because I wanted to be like him. I wished I was from another planet and that my real parents were actually someone else.  Superman always looked out for the underdog and he alternate persona Clark Kent was a nerd, which resonated with me. I was an awkward teenager and spent most of my free time in libraries, playing sports, or alone. Superman had secrets that he couldn't tell anyone. His secrets were cool. Mine were not, but I felt a connection with him. Superman is the best superhero ever and I still consider him to be the greatest superhero of all time. A lot of people hate on him, but that is just because they are jealous.  The only times I ever get into heated arguments is when people deny the greatness of superman. How dare they!

I am a hero because my super power is: TEACHER

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My childhood hero was Pa from Little House in the Big Woods book series ( I read them ALL 4 times as an elementary student). He was the one how took Laura and her family on a wild adventure, seeing a better life in the west. He was my hero because he could do ANYTHING, build a house by himself, dig a well, care for the livestock and grow crops, and even fight off wild animals. When ever there was a problem in the books, Pa was always there. Steady and kind, he would save the family and lead them onward, always to a better home, a better life. providing opportunities for Laura and her family. Yes, I still think of him as a hero today, because he was a "man of all trades" which is needed anywhere in anytime.

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The hero that really changed my life was Jean Valjean from Les Miserable.  I had seen the musical in high school, and it didn’t have much impact, but then I was re-exposed to it in college when I was asking a lot of questions about my identity and the kind of person I wanted to be.  As a Christian, I had a strong faith in Christ, but I had trouble understanding how His life translated into how I should live now in a messy, modern world where I was filled with all kinds of emotions and flaws.  The character of Jean Valjean, his need for grace, the beauty of the bishop’s kindness towards him, and Valjean’s journey of showing mercy and grace in the context of so much brokenness…was so beautiful and relatable to me that it helped me understand how to set my sense of meaning and purpose.

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Valjean's Soliloquy - Les Miserables (Film)

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Hugh Jackman singing 'what have I done'/'Valjean's soliloquy' in Les Miserables (2012). Sorry about the bad quality. I own nothing; rights go to Universal studios.

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Who was my childhood hero? I wish I had a dollar for every time I was asked this question growing up, but I did not have a hero, either real or fictional. As an adult, I began to see people (in real life) who were truly heroic in their ability to survive tragedy and turn around and help others or in their will to change the world. Two such people are Congresswoman Lucy McBath and former Congresswoman Gabby Giffords. I also know many people in that mold who are not household names. Knowing what I do about them and the sacrifices they make, I would definitely not consider myself a hero.

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I do not remember too many details about my childhood hero, which probably answers whether or not I would define this person as a hero today (I am not sure). What I do remember was that they were similar to power rangers in their attire and would often get into giant robots to fight evil-doers like Voltron. When I was a child, I would play with my action figure and imagine slaying monsters. Now, as an adult, I must deal with other types of monsters - misinformation, insecurities, etc. I don't know if I would consider myself a hero, but I would like to think of myself as one of the background characters that is neither good nor evil, just a guy trying his best. This is mainly because I feel like being a hero requires a big investment of time and energy, and while I may be able to do that on a small scale on campus, I am not sure I could put in enough to be considered a hero.

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I don't think I had a childhood hero. I did sort of want to be Jamie Sommers, the Bionic Woman. She was strong--she could bend steel--and could run crazy fast because of her bionic legs.  It was nice to see a woman kicking 🤬 on TV. I played with my Jamie Sommers doll far more than my Barbie.

Beyond Jamie Sommers, my hero was my dad. As a child, I thought he could do anything and knew everything because he did so much for me. It has been hard as an adult to have to reassess. As an adult I see things I didn't understand as a child.  He was a. good dad and good man, but I'm not sure about her status. But Jamie Sommers is still a hero!

Am I a hero? I hope I am to my kids. I hope they don't become disillusioned. If they could go back to the 70s, I do think they'd dig Jamie Sommers!

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I did not have a hero in childhood-someone I idolized. I think it would have been helpful to have a hero to aspire to be like, but I just didn't have this for whatever reason. A hero I did have later in life was Sandra Cisneros after reading The House on Mango Street. I loved the last pages how she left her home / neighborhood with her "tools" to navigate life-pens/pencils/paper. She was going to write her story! I loved this! She is still my hero :)

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While I cannot recall a significant childhood hero that I had as a kid, I know I had many hero like characters come in and out of my life, such as Jem and the Holograms! Jem had these supercool earrings that allowed her sense danger and save any mishaps from the band's concerts. I looked up to Jem because she had this alterego that nobody else knew about, and she was able to help others while looking SO hip.

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My childhood hero was Batman. I always thought he was so mysterious and badass. He always said the right thing before he handled a villain, and he showed up at all the right times. I liked how he used his own inventions and that he was more technologically advanced than even the Gotham police. Now, I can see that Bruce Wayne might have saved a few people, but his millionaire lifestyle isn't that different than Jeff Bezos or Richard Branson. I don't see either of those business owners/CEOs as heroes, and I find their endeavors to be misguided and connected to bravado than a strong sense of ethos.