“If you were arrested for being a Christian, would you be convicted?” I was struck by this quote when I first heard it, as was Jimmy Carter. Carter would have been convicted. He was a devout Christian. His devotion to his Christian faith shows what a dedicated person he is. Carter and I both share this strong dedication to things that are important to us – whether it’s our faith, work, education, or family. His commitment to his faith is only one of the many ways he showed his dedication.
Carter was dedicated to the improvement of the United States. He tried to improve the energy crisis through new policies of conservation and new technology. He was also dedicated to the improvement of human rights, even beyond his presidency. He founded the Carter Center after his presidency. I am also dedicated to improvement as well. I want to improvement in myself, my peers, and everyone in the world. I work hard so that I can not only improve on my own, but I can help others improve, and together we can improve society as a whole. I am also committed to my values, improvement being one of them, like Carter. There is always room for improvement, and I always strive for excellence in whatever I do.
Another similarity between Carter and myself are that we are both well- rounded people. In high school, he was a basketball star who loved reading and grew up to become a naval officer, peanut farmer, politician, and of course President of the United States. Carter didn’t limit himself to pursuing different paths and I am the same way. I’m a jock and a theater geek, whose favorite subject is math, and I enjoy writing. I like to pursue different paths, even if the path is completely foreign to anything I have ever done before.
Most people probably couldn’t tell you what Carter did as a president, but not because he didn’t do anything. Carter did a lot as a president for human rights and energy conservation. The reason people can’t recall them is because Carter was very low-key. He never did anything for recognition. He did things because he felt they needed to be done. I am the same way. I never look for recognition or reward for the work I do. I don’t strive for excellence, in order to receive an award, but for myself and the betterment of others.