My Hero, Margaret Sears
By: Jack Sears
A hero is defined by Merriam-Webster as “a person admired for achievements and noble qualities” and “one who shows great courage”. In our society today, heroes are more important than ever. With the struggles our world faces, heroes are the people who can help to pull us out of dark times with their strength and courage, and can make a change one step at a time. My hero has been my mom, Margaret Sears. Through her actions, character, achievements, and excellence against the trials and tribulations life sends her way, she has absolutely been a hero to those she encounters. I consider myself to be extremely lucky to have my mom in my life, to see her amazing impact on other people day in and day out, and it inspires me to try to become as great a hero for other people as she is.
From a young age, I was able to see what an extensive impact my mom has on other people in a variety of ways. In elementary school, she was always there for me when I came home, and whenever I struggled with homework, got a bad grade, or just had a bad day, she was always there to help me turn it around to make it better. She does the same kind of amazing things for others. When some of our neighbors have gone through a tough time with surgery or the death of a loved one, my mom would always try to help their family by making meals for them, or providing whatever she could for them. She would also make a cake for someone’s birthday when they asked, or helped to volunteer at school to enhance a class’ experience somewhere. A hero is “a person admired for achievements and noble qualities”, and my mom’s selflessness, and benevolence towards others is something I admire greatly, as do the people she encounters.
The kindness and generosity my mother shows carries over to people who are complete and utter strangers to her. She is always friendly to other people, even when she is having a rough day, as she tries to improve the life of the people around her. Beyond just her kindness is her generosity toward other people. I distinctly remember one day where we went out to eat with my dad and she saw a family who looked to be picking their meals based on a tight budget. When she saw this, she talked to our server and told the server that she had a gift card she wanted to use for that family’s meal. The looks of gratitude and excitement on their faces will be something I will never forget. Even when someone is a complete stranger to my mom, she always tries to make their day better. Throughout my life, I have seen my mom do similar good deeds towards others whom she has never met, and may never meet again. The things that my mom does for others, whether she knows them or they are a complete stranger to her, make her a hero.
The effect my mom has on other people carries into her work as a fourth grade teacher at Twin Ridge Elementary School. She got back into teaching in 2018, after taking a hiatus to stay at home for me after I was born. From a young age, I could tell that my mom was a great teacher while she was in the classroom, as I heard the amazing things her previous students were getting into. Several of her students have gone to schools like Harvard, while another is in a band whose songs are featured in several commercials. However, I really got to see the profound impact my mom had on her students in virtual learning. Her “classroom” is just down the hall from me, and while she was at home, I could always hear her students laughing, and enjoying themselves, while also hearing them learn new information, and really grasp concepts. I can always hear her encouraging her students to try to learn more and setting high standards for her students, so that they may achieve everything they possibly can. The way my mom is always able to make learning fun is incredible to me, and it just goes to show what a special impact she makes on others.
Part of what might make my mom so special as a teacher is her affection for learning. My mom has been a lifelong learner, as she will be graduating from McDaniel College with a 4.0 from her masters program this spring. Seeing her continue to learn and continue to try to make herself even better at everything she does has been very inspiring and motivating. She truly acts like a hero, as she does not give up and continues to try to find the best version of herself through learning and hard work. Her work as a student throughout her life is very impressive and inspires me to work hard to try to get to the same point, especially when you consider who she got to this point
Every hero needs a backstory, some kind of struggle to get where they want to be, and my hero is no different. I feel as though my mother’s story is important, as it shows how she got where she wanted to be. She was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1964 as one of six children from my grandmother and grandfather. They moved to Maryland while my mom was in elementary school, and she had to go to 4 different schools in a span of 4 years. In high school, she struggled with her classes, and was not one of the “popular kids”. She had the courage to be herself, despite other students not being kind to her. After high school, it took my mom a few years of doing different jobs and trying different things, but she eventually went to and graduated from Flagler College to become a teacher. She met my dad while she was working at Georgetown, before she went to college, and they were married in 199_. They had me a few years later, in 2004, after my mother had to have a C-section. I feel as though my mother’s backstory shows how she became who she is. With a positive upbringing and facing different problems, she was able to navigate through crossroads and uncertainty into the great hero she is today. However, these problems were not the toughest she had to face. The backstory of a hero usually includes herculean trials that the hero must overcome, and my mothers trials have been no different, as she has had to go through great adversity to become the magnificent person she is today.
During her lifetime, my mom has gone through a great variety of struggles, making her positive attitude, and impact all the more impressive. In the fall of 2011, my mom had a tumor in her kidney, cancer, though we didn’t know it yet. Her strength through that tough time is unforgettable to me, as she fought through and won her battle with kidney cancer. Not only has my mom had cancer, but she has had many medical issues throughout her lifetime, such as seizures, allergies, back surgery, a broken toe, migraines, and more. In addition to the challenges she has faced medically, I have seen her do everything she possibly can for her students, as she tried her best to help her students learn more even in the most adverse time for learning last spring. Not only did she face great challenges with school in the last year, she still had to balance her coursework for college, and being able to spend time with the people she loves, my dad and I, during this time. She has had greater struggles than I may ever know, and yet, my mom still has found a way to be a special, transformative person. The way I have seen her be able to overcome this adversity in her life with great courage while still changing the lives of others has been beyond extraordinary. It is her ability to vanquish challenges with her courage and still improve the lives of others that makes her a great hero, and inspiration not only to me, but for all.
My greatest hero in life has been, and always will be, my mother. Every day, I get to see her be an amazing, strong, woman who makes the world around her a better place in a great multitude of ways. To see her courage in the face of adversity and the incredible qualities she possesses in her kindness, intelligence, generosity, and beyond show me that she is not only a hero by definition, but she transcends any hero I have ever seen, heard of, or met. I have been truly blessed and privileged to be able to live with my greatest hero in life, and to be able to experience some of her wonders firsthand. I hope that someday, I can make a profound impression on the lives of other people the same way that my mother has. Thank you mom! I love you!
From a young age, I was able to see what an extensive impact my mom has on other people in a variety of ways. In elementary school, she was always there for me when I came home, and whenever I struggled with homework, got a bad grade, or just had a bad day, she was always there to help me turn it around to make it better. She does the same kind of amazing things for others. When some of our neighbors have gone through a tough time with surgery or the death of a loved one, my mom would always try to help their family by making meals for them, or providing whatever she could for them. She would also make a cake for someone’s birthday when they asked, or helped to volunteer at school to enhance a class’ experience somewhere. A hero is “a person admired for achievements and noble qualities”, and my mom’s selflessness, and benevolence towards others is something I admire greatly, as do the people she encounters.
The kindness and generosity my mother shows carries over to people who are complete and utter strangers to her. She is always friendly to other people, even when she is having a rough day, as she tries to improve the life of the people around her. Beyond just her kindness is her generosity toward other people. I distinctly remember one day where we went out to eat with my dad and she saw a family who looked to be picking their meals based on a tight budget. When she saw this, she talked to our server and told the server that she had a gift card she wanted to use for that family’s meal. The looks of gratitude and excitement on their faces will be something I will never forget. Even when someone is a complete stranger to my mom, she always tries to make their day better. Throughout my life, I have seen my mom do similar good deeds towards others whom she has never met, and may never meet again. The things that my mom does for others, whether she knows them or they are a complete stranger to her, make her a hero.
The effect my mom has on other people carries into her work as a fourth grade teacher at Twin Ridge Elementary School. She got back into teaching in 2018, after taking a hiatus to stay at home for me after I was born. From a young age, I could tell that my mom was a great teacher while she was in the classroom, as I heard the amazing things her previous students were getting into. Several of her students have gone to schools like Harvard, while another is in a band whose songs are featured in several commercials. However, I really got to see the profound impact my mom had on her students in virtual learning. Her “classroom” is just down the hall from me, and while she was at home, I could always hear her students laughing, and enjoying themselves, while also hearing them learn new information, and really grasp concepts. I can always hear her encouraging her students to try to learn more and setting high standards for her students, so that they may achieve everything they possibly can. The way my mom is always able to make learning fun is incredible to me, and it just goes to show what a special impact she makes on others.
Part of what might make my mom so special as a teacher is her affection for learning. My mom has been a lifelong learner, as she will be graduating from McDaniel College with a 4.0 from her masters program this spring. Seeing her continue to learn and continue to try to make herself even better at everything she does has been very inspiring and motivating. She truly acts like a hero, as she does not give up and continues to try to find the best version of herself through learning and hard work. Her work as a student throughout her life is very impressive and inspires me to work hard to try to get to the same point, especially when you consider who she got to this point
Every hero needs a backstory, some kind of struggle to get where they want to be, and my hero is no different. I feel as though my mother’s story is important, as it shows how she got where she wanted to be. She was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1964 as one of six children from my grandmother and grandfather. They moved to Maryland while my mom was in elementary school, and she had to go to 4 different schools in a span of 4 years. In high school, she struggled with her classes, and was not one of the “popular kids”. She had the courage to be herself, despite other students not being kind to her. After high school, it took my mom a few years of doing different jobs and trying different things, but she eventually went to and graduated from Flagler College to become a teacher. She met my dad while she was working at Georgetown, before she went to college, and they were married in 199_. They had me a few years later, in 2004, after my mother had to have a C-section. I feel as though my mother’s backstory shows how she became who she is. With a positive upbringing and facing different problems, she was able to navigate through crossroads and uncertainty into the great hero she is today. However, these problems were not the toughest she had to face. The backstory of a hero usually includes herculean trials that the hero must overcome, and my mothers trials have been no different, as she has had to go through great adversity to become the magnificent person she is today.
During her lifetime, my mom has gone through a great variety of struggles, making her positive attitude, and impact all the more impressive. In the fall of 2011, my mom had a tumor in her kidney, cancer, though we didn’t know it yet. Her strength through that tough time is unforgettable to me, as she fought through and won her battle with kidney cancer. Not only has my mom had cancer, but she has had many medical issues throughout her lifetime, such as seizures, allergies, back surgery, a broken toe, migraines, and more. In addition to the challenges she has faced medically, I have seen her do everything she possibly can for her students, as she tried her best to help her students learn more even in the most adverse time for learning last spring. Not only did she face great challenges with school in the last year, she still had to balance her coursework for college, and being able to spend time with the people she loves, my dad and I, during this time. She has had greater struggles than I may ever know, and yet, my mom still has found a way to be a special, transformative person. The way I have seen her be able to overcome this adversity in her life with great courage while still changing the lives of others has been beyond extraordinary. It is her ability to vanquish challenges with her courage and still improve the lives of others that makes her a great hero, and inspiration not only to me, but for all.
My greatest hero in life has been, and always will be, my mother. Every day, I get to see her be an amazing, strong, woman who makes the world around her a better place in a great multitude of ways. To see her courage in the face of adversity and the incredible qualities she possesses in her kindness, intelligence, generosity, and beyond show me that she is not only a hero by definition, but she transcends any hero I have ever seen, heard of, or met. I have been truly blessed and privileged to be able to live with my greatest hero in life, and to be able to experience some of her wonders firsthand. I hope that someday, I can make a profound impression on the lives of other people the same way that my mother has. Thank you mom! I love you!
John “Jack” Sears is a junior and is a member of the Cross Country and Track and Field teams, the National Honor Society, National English Honor Society, Lancer Ambassadors, and is an Eagle Scout in the Boy Scouts of America. Jack enjoys spending time with family and friends, watching sports, listening to music, and spending time doing outdoor activities. After high school, Jack intends to go to college and major in a field of engineering.