Leadership Wk4: Role Model

My leadership role model has always been and will always be my Grandfather Bob Slayton. His words of wisdom have guided me along my life more than any other person. My first thoughts of becoming an educator sprouted from a conversation we had in my early twenties during one of our fishing trips. He told me that once this life is over you cannot take anything with you, you only live on in the memories and actions of those you have inspired along the way. By making a difference in someone’s life you help to mold a better future, therefore the more you can make a positive difference in the world, the more your life has meaning. This advice led me into the world of education where I strive on a daily basis to not only increase my student’s knowledge of the world through science, but to also help mold them into responsible and upstanding young adults. On a daily basis I strive to open the eyes of my students to the world as it is truly around them, by restating all the great advice my grandfather has given me along the way. I tell my students that many people in this world have only one aspiration and that is to make money, to this I quote my Grandfather and tell them that “You don’t need a job that makes a lot of money, you just need a job that makes a lot of sense”. Because my grandfather inspired me, and I strive to inspire my students, I know that my grandfather will be happy to know that his life matters because through me he changes the lives of hundreds of students each year.