What is a hero? Everyone has their own definition of the word "hero". To me, a hero is someone who shows great courage and sacrifice when faced with difficult decisions. A hero in my eyes is also defined as someone who believes in something much bigger than themselves. In this article I will detail who my personal heroes are and why.

My first hero is someone I've never actually met before. Her name is Carrie Shade. She created a twitter profile a little over a year ago called @AgainstSuicide. She created it after a good friend of hers committed suicide. Since the account has been created, it has gained over 107,000 followers (as of 1/12/13) The remarkable thing that strikes me about Carrie is that she doesn't do it for the popularity. She doesn't abuse twitter like most other teenagers do. She tweets about how self harm, not eating, and killing yourself doesn't accomplish anything. She genuinely wants to change the world. She wants to save lives.

My second hero is my mother. I know it sounds cliché to call my mom a hero, but she really is. She grew up in a small town and in a family that never really pushed getting grades. She wasn't the best student. But, unlike her parents, she pushes me. She holds me accountable. She realizes my full potential. She always wants 110% from me whether it be in school, music, or all of the extra curriculars I am in. She wants me to succeed. My mom amazes me. She always has so much going on; but she always has time for me.

Those are my heroes. I urge you to find out who your heroes are and why. I also urge you to tell them.