Nazim Ali
Grand Blanc West Middle School
Grand Blanc

“Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, “What are you doing for others?”
Martin Luther King Jr.

This tiny planet that we live on is an insanely beautiful drop of cosmic dust suspended in the nothingness of space. It is indescribably stunning in its beauty and in its worth for two reasons: one is the gorgeous places on Earth, and the other for the most simple human beings amongst us that attract our mind, body, and soul to be near them.

In my short life of 13 years on this planet, I may not have seen all the beautiful places. But I can say with all certainty in my heart, that I was blessed beyond imagination to come to the near proximity of such a personality. I did not have to travel across oceans and continents to seek her company. This treasure was waiting for me in my backyard, right here in Michigan. Her name is Vickie Weiss.

So what’s the big deal about a teacher trying to do her job? That is where my hero shines. She comes to work every morning not to do just any job. Unlike other teachers, she invests her blood, sweat, and tears into the future of this country, one Michigan school day at a time. She taught us how to have kindness by introducing us to the “Soup Kitchen” of Flint and gratitude by showing us the streets of Detroit. But what makes her my hero is her effect in my life even after leaving her classroom.

I entered her class as someone who sat by myself at lunch, struggling to believe that there was happiness for me in life. One day she made me read my work out loud in front of the entire class. To my utter disbelief, I realized that by doing so she took me from feeling insecure to being appreciated by my peers. Over the next few months, I started to put more passion into my work. My hunger for acceptance was my inspiration to write more. For the first time, I recognized that I could stand on my own two feet, with my head held high, and appreciate the value of everyone around me as well as myself.

You see, to me, a hero’s journey is one of a mythical nature. A hero is someone who turns all your failures into success. When I once made a blunder, she told me, “We, as human beings, will always make mistakes, but the key to our success and growth is to learn from them.” She was the first teacher ever who taught me that we are all precious; that we are all worthy of celebration; that we all have the capability to make this world a better place not just for ourselves, but for all humanity though our relentless actions guided by love, molded with humility, touched by kindness, and wrapped with discipline.

Mrs. Weiss is my hero because she taught me that I can be one, too.