my role models
The people I look up to, without a single doubt, are my parents. My mother has always pushed me to be myself and stand up to what I believe in. She has encouraged me to speak my mind and not just sit back and stay quiet. (Maybe that’s why I’m at Cal ;oÞ ) Although small in stature she can be a force to be reckoned with. She believes that one person CAN make a difference and continually demonstrates this through her progressive community work in my hometown. She gives me courage and is always open when I need serious advice.
I also completely admire my father. Among the many life lessons he has taught me, there is one in particular that I hold close here at Cal.
He has taught me that being the best isn’t necessarily the only goal in life—working hard and doing my personal best is what counts. At Cal, I often feel that competition for the best grades or by comparing myself to others can be destructive; he has taught me that I can only do my best and be proud of myself. As a student himself, he wasn’t the greatest, but he worked hard and became a successful man. I look up to him and hope that I can be a least half the person he is to me.
As I inch my way closer to becoming an optometrist, I have also come to admire many people in optometry and ophthalmology. My cousin, Tim, is an amazing ophthalmologist. I had the great fortune this past winter break to shadow him during his cataracts surgeries. Not only is he an amazing surgeon, but he carries himself with such confidence and grace. He is focused, professional, and extremely talented. He has opened me up to so many things in the “eye department” that I had no idea about.
Like Alex said, come by to our office hours and tell us who you look up to! We’d love to hear from you.