NDSU students and faculty share their heroes

A hero does not have to be someone you know. They do not have to be a family member or a friend, and they don’t even have to be real. A hero in your eyes may not be a hero in another person’s eyes, which is why heroism is so special to people. It is an honor for those who have a hero and for those being called a hero.

Everyone has a different definition for a hero. In this case The Spectrum used “Someone who you admire because you think they’re a good person.” I asked multiple students and faculty members to share their stories and reasoning for who their hero is.

The most common answer was “mom.” But others varied from Jesus to “Science” to “Hubby Hubs” to “My Teacher, Alis.”

Steven Glasford spoke about how his mom is “a badass bitch.” After recovering from surgery, she lost control of her vehicle in a storm and drove off a cliff. Through that, she had to deal with having a broken arm, not to mention rheumatoid arthritis, and crawl for over a mile to get help. She then refused to get into an ambulance and instead waited for her daughter because it was too expensive.

Many found their mothers admirable because they were the leader of the family, especially Amanda Reil. She grew up on a dairy farm, and her mom worked, had children, led the family and “did it all.” Maddie Johnson explained how her mother practically raised her and her other siblings while her father fought in the military.

Shweta Srivastava answered by saying, “My mom was very resilient,” so she is her hero. Unfortunately, she lost her life to cancer, but put up a good fight.

Other students focused on their father figures as their heroes. Christine Jones shared how her father is in the military “and taught me everything I know.” Angelique Aikoriegie admired her dad for always being there, as he coached her soccer team growing up.

Simply having someone there for support or knowing you can count on them can turn someone into heroes in your eyes. Nathanial Andrews explained how his family “always swoops in” whenever he needs saving or help. Tyler Stich said his parents are his heroes because “they’re always there for me.”

Some forget how often grandparents are there, but Monica Robinson does not. She shared how her grandmother is her hero because she raised her growing up.

Seeing someone constantly fight cancer, like Charlie Cummings’ grandmother, is a heroic act in itself. She has gone through chemotherapy twice now and is cancer free again.

While blood relatives are heroes and admirable, many forget how much others around us and those we choose to be in our family impact our lives. Adele Malone shared how North Dakota State student Nathalia Santiago is her hero. Santiago is originally from Puerto Rico, and she was born with a disability of having one leg, but she does not let that stop her from participating in politics. Theodore Mandt was affected by his high school wrestling coach, Pat Rollins. To this day, he explained how, “He always pushed me to be better,” and how that was a heroic act.

Other people said they view people who they have never met as their hero. Even though there are people around them, these heroes are the first people to come to mind. Erin Tamillo said she adores Robin Williams because “even though he was struggling, he still made other people laugh.”

There were many women who respect feminists in the public eye. Stephanie Youngs said she admires how Hillary Clinton “paved the way for women.” Frida Kahlo slept with the same woman her husband cheated on her with, which made McKenna Warcken smile.

While many focused on people they knew, Jenny Perea automatically said Wonder Woman because “she’s an idol to all women.”