Nick Oakes
Mrs. Gibbs
Period 4
9-8-08

My Personal Hero

Throughout our lives, there are people that influence us in outstanding ways. These people are our heroes, those who teach valuable lessons about ourselves and life in general. These people are our icons, and we look up to them for help and inspiration in all aspects of our lives. Heroes are role models, teachers, who show us what is expected of us. Without these people, many of us would lack the guiding light that helps define who we are.

In my life, the person who best fits the role of both role model and teacher for me and my community is my stepfather, Columbus B R. He is a homicide detective in the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department. Throughout the years I’ve known him, he’s taught me several valuable lessons that help me to be a better person. Born in Jackson, Mississippi, he worked for fast food restaurant and ran a paper route. Throughout his youth, his father was his greatest role model. In college, he wanted to be an engineer, but once he got out, a friend told him joining the police force would be an easy way to get good work. He still works there today, and still plays a vital part in crime-prevention in Indianapolis.


He is a police officer in the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, and therefore a vital part of our city’s infrastructure. Without our police, firefighters, and other national security departments, we would not enjoy the vast quality of life that we do. These men and women provide not only vital security for our communities, but something much more, as well: they serve as role models to look up to for hope and guidance, especially during rough times. Thus, they are an essential part of our country, our families, and, perhaps most importantly, our own individual lives. For me, my stepfather acts as a role model and a teacher for my own personality. He helps teach me right and wrong, and guides me away from traits that aren’t good for my future, personally and socially. He is a very important part of who I am, he kind of person I need to be, and what I will become.
Though he is, for the most part, an average person, my stepfather is also, as all of us are in our own ways, unique. He is not perfect; he can be stubborn, sarcastic, and smarmy. However, he is a good person through and through, and passes this on to my sister and I. He tries hard to give and earn respect, especially at work, and does his best to excel in the force. For the past week, he has spent most of his free time studying for an exam that could earn him a promotion, a valuable move for our family. To me, this hard work, determination, and initiative is an integral part of why I would consider him a hero.
Through his personal integrity, initiative, and pure spirit, my stepfather serves as a hero in my life, and in the lives of my whole family. He wakes up early every morning to go to work, always on call in case of a murder. He works most of the day to help keep bread on the table, and does a good job at what he does. He teaches my sister and I lessons about life all the time, and we come out as better people, even if we don't know it at the time. He is one of the best people I know, even if he can be obnoxious at times; he is not perfect, as none of us are. All together, however, he is a role model for both my life, and the lives of others in my community.