Everyday Hero Stories

Where did your values come from?

We've all had people in our lives who have made a positive impact on us. A parent or grandparent, a sibling who was there for us, or maybe even just a guy who shines shoes for a living? Whoever they are, tell us their story so they can inspire us even more.

Tell Us Your Story
DEDICATION
JANE R Mrs. Rollins taught me the nuances of being an effective administrator: never lose your temper, show empathy and compassion at all times, and do things right the first time. She is still the best principal I have ever worked for.
SUBMITTED BY ANONYMOUS Read Story
MAKING A DIFFERENCE
THE MANY A hero is someone that you can always look up to. They set good examples for those around them and encourage others to follow in their paths. To me, a hero is forever trustworthy, dependable, honest, and treats others how they would want to be treated. Not always a superhero or a celebrity, a hero can be anyone...
SUBMITTED BY ANONYMOUS Read Story
LEARNING
SUSAN P My hero would have to be my Junior English teacher, Mrs. Parker. Not only was she great at teaching, but she was also great at instilling life lessons into us. She taught us how to treat others with kindness and respect and how to survive in the real world. In her class I also learned how to appreciate people for...
SUBMITTED BY ANONYMOUS Read Story
OPTIMISM
DONALD C My friend's grandfather, Donald C., is a man of great strength and courage. No matter what happens, he keeps moving forward with a positive outlook on life. He was recently diagnosed with stage four lung cancer and the whole family was devastated. Even though he does not have long to live, he still finds a way to...
SUBMITTED BY ANONYMOUS Read Story
LIVE YOUR DREAMS
HOPE FOR TOMORROW A person who inspires me to live out my dreams would have to be my mom. She has accomplished so many things in her life and has always provided for my brother and I when we thought things couldn’t get any worse. She has always put her kids before the world and still went out and accomplished the world. She has...
SUBMITTED BY ANONYMOUS Read Story
LIVE YOUR DREAMS
TO BE A WINNER The first time I met Debbie, I felt very welcomed. I had heard many stories of Debbie’s horse club and that they practiced day and night with no breaks. I was told that Debbie yelled constantly and was mean to her students. But none of this was true. Debbie began coaching me in horse judging and riding when I was...
SUBMITTED BY ANONYMOUS Read Story
LIVE YOUR DREAMS
GOING GLOBAL The first time I was placed on a horse, I knew that this was going to be my life from then on out. My aunt taught me to ride ever since I was in diapers. But when I moved down to Charlotte, I realized that my aunt had opened so many doors to different endless opportunities for me. One of those doors I have walked...
SUBMITTED BY ANONYMOUS Read Story
LIVE YOUR DREAMS
NEW HEIGHTS My dream is to become an orthodontist, soar to new heights, and impact the world. Ever since the day I got braces, I thought about how cool it would be for me to become an orthodontist and make other teens like me have more beautiful smiles. The thought of helping other people overcome fear of their image or...
SUBMITTED BY ANONYMOUS Read Story
LIVE YOUR DREAMS
LIVING MY DREAM Growing up I always dreamed about being a doctor. As a child I used to play pretend doctor with my friends and my favorite game was OPERATION! Today, I still hope to become a doctor. I try my best to make good grades so I can get a good education and go to a nice college. I have taken all the medical classes in...
SUBMITTED BY ANONYMOUS Read Story
COMPASSION
KEITH L After reading a story about chimpanzees discarded from the biomedical testing industry, Keith put his entire being - hands, heart and bank account - into constructing a facility to provide sanctuary for these incredible animals forced into such sad situations. After many years of hard work and quiet...
SUBMITTED BY ANONYMOUS Read Story
PATIENCE
GIRLS! There is this girl that was my best friend for almost ten years. When I got to high school she started completely ignoring me and being mean. I told her how I felt and she didn’t care. She had her new friends and didn’t acknowledge me at all. I wrote her a note telling her how I felt and she wrote back saying...
SUBMITTED BY ANONYMOUS Read Story
COMMITMENT
CHRISTINE B I think Christine is my hero because she has shown commitment by sticking with Christopher through thick and thin. They have been through mostly everything: through racial comments, family issues, and school. I look up to Christine because she has showed commitment to her boyfriend. Even though it is not...
SUBMITTED BY ANONYMOUS Read Story
PATIENCE
BRAIN/SPINAL SURGERY I have a disorder where my body thinks I have a tumor. I really don’t though. I have many symptoms of a tumor including headaches and nausea. I also almost went blind. I have had to have 48 surgeries on my brain and spinal cord. It had been really stressful for me. I know that I have to stay patient so the...
SUBMITTED BY ANONYMOUS Read Story
PATIENCE
LUNG TRANSPLANT A time in my life when I had to be patient was when my Mom went under surgery for a double lung transplant. When she was in the hospital under surgery, I was very scared and didn’t know what to think or do. Instead of going crazy and thinking negative thoughts, I sat back and was patient. I prayed about things...
SUBMITTED BY ANONYMOUS Read Story
LISTENING
LISTENING Listening is a very important quality to have in life. It is the difference between hearing the car horn speeding toward you and being hospitalized because you weren't listening. Listening is comprehending sounds and information and using it. You should pay attention and listen to the things that surround you....
SUBMITTED BY ANONYMOUS Read Story
PATIENCE
LEADERSHIP CLASS! My leadership class is a perfect example is times that I’ve had to be patient. I had to plan powder puff this year and it was really stressful on me. I had to make the final decisions for our t-shirts and I had to make sure I was on top of things or else powder puff would turn into a disaster! I started getting...
SUBMITTED BY ANONYMOUS Read Story
LISTENING
LISTENING It is important to listen because if you don't you will never know the outcome. Also if you want people to listen to you, the right thing is to listen to them.
SUBMITTED BY ANONYMOUS Read Story
HUMILITY
CAMERON L Cameron is one of the best firefighters I know. He's always ready to go when disaster strikes. Constantly, he's up for more than 48 hours at a time. If you're ever in a bad mood or just looking for someone to talk to, Cameron is your guy! He's a perfect example of humility because he never boasts about saving...
SUBMITTED BY ANONYMOUS Read Story
MAKING A DIFFERENCE
KATHY B My hero is my mom because she is there for me when I need her. She never lets me down. She was there when my real mother give me away at birth. She adopted me at the age of 8 years old. She was there when I really need her. She is the most kind person I have ever met.
SUBMITTED BY ANONYMOUS Read Story
INSPIRATION
MICHELLE & PERRY F My heroes are my parents. They are my heroes because I cannot think of a single time that they have not been there for me. They have always stood beside me and supported me 100% in everything that I have done. They have taught me responsibility, discipline, and many other things. They also taught me how to be a...
SUBMITTED BY ANONYMOUS Read Story
INSPIRATION
CINDY D My hero is my Aunt Cindy who is a teacher at Stanly Community College and is going back to college to get her Doctorate degree. The reason that she is my hero is because she has inspired me to follow my dreams and go to school and get a college education. She is the only one in my family to graduate from college....
SUBMITTED BY ANONYMOUS Read Story
RIGHT CHOICES
FOLLOW YOUR HEART To all the young people out there: When choosing a career path or what profession you wish to be in, I say follow your heart. Yes, monetary income is important, but so is doing what you enjoy, or have a passion for. In the end, I believe you will be happier if you do the latter. I am 60 years old so I know, as I...
SUBMITTED BY ANONYMOUS Read Story
TRUE BEAUTY
NANCY I would have to say that I’ve had a lot of people that I’ve looked up to in my life, including my parents, husband and my mother-in-law. But I would have to say that one of the people that touched my life the most was a woman named Nancy. She was a resident in the group home that I assisted in managing in...
SUBMITTED BY ANONYMOUS Read Story
TEACHING BY EXAMPLE
DIANE H My grandmother, Diane, is the strongest and most beautiful woman to ever walk the face of the Earth. Everyone in the family referred to her as Maw Diane; she was a beautiful lady inside and out, and never had an enemy. On October 23rd, her 55th birthday, my grandmother was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer. In...
SUBMITTED BY ANONYMOUS Read Story
COMPASSION
WOODY B While walking down a street in New York to return to our hotel room, Woody saw a man fall on the street and immediately ran to help him up. The man had been drinking heavily, so Woody helped him to a local restaurant, bought him some food and helped him find his way home.
SUBMITTED BY ANONYMOUS Read Story
TRUE BEAUTY
MY HERO My grandmother, Diane Hartsell, is the strongest and most beautiful woman to ever walk the face of the Earth. Everyone in the family referred to her as Maw Diane; she was a beautiful lady inside and out, and never had an enemy. On October 23rd, her 55th birthday, my grandmother was diagnosed with terminal lung...
SUBMITTED BY ANONYMOUS Read Story
TRUE BEAUTY
KATHRYN B My sister does all she can for others. She is a very selfless person and I love her for that. This is true beauty because to be willing to give more than to receive is the best quality in my eyes. She will give her time, money, and great counseling to anyone who needs it. She has helped me many times over the...
SUBMITTED BY ANONYMOUS Read Story
LOVE
WILLIAM C When you call somebody a hero you love and respect that person; they have shown courage or love in their life. Now William isn't famous but he could have been. Growing up in New York he loved baseball and when he was sixteen he could have played major league baseball, but he didn't. Instead he followed his...
SUBMITTED BY ANONYMOUS Read Story
HUMILITY
ANTHONY F Dad served in the Navy in WWII. He had two ships shot out from under him. When the 2nd one went down, he was one of only 300 survivors. He spoke very little about it, and he always looked at his own role as very small compared to that of others. His survival is a story of courage, which John Wayne described as...
SUBMITTED BY ANONYMOUS Read Story
RISING ABOVE
LAINIE F Lainie does so many good things for her animals on her horse rescue farm. Day in and day out she is out there with these horses and other animals providing them the love and attention that they have never received from previous owners. Lainie gets these animals ready for adoption, she makes no profit form this...
SUBMITTED BY ANONYMOUS Read Story
TEACHING BY EXAMPLE
PEGGY M My grandma, Peggy, is my hero. She died in 2006, but she was a great person. She got married when she was 13 and she never went past the 6th grade. She got pregnant and had my dad when she was 14. She was self-taught, she was a very good cook, she was a very good painter, she paid the bills, and raised three...
SUBMITTED BY ANONYMOUS Read Story
SACRIFICE
KINDNESS IN THE FACE OF THE FORGOTTEN While waiting with my oldest son for a tow truck, we were waiting next to my car. I have bumper sticker that says "I love someone with Autism." While we were waiting, a homeless man approached us. I was a little frighten and my older son stood in front of me out of protection. The man asked me if I really did...
SUBMITTED BY ANONYMOUS Read Story
EXCELLENCE
GERARD R Gerry V. Radice, born December 9, 1918, is the oldest child in a family of four children. Mr. Radice grew up in Chicago. Taylor Street. Hyde park. Attended DePaul University. Joined Illinois National Guard. Federalized into US Army September, 1940. Active duty through April, 1946. Attended DePaul University...
SUBMITTED BY ANONYMOUS Read Story
We use cookies or similar technologies to process data when you visit our site. This data may relate to your use of our site, your preferences, your device, or other information about you. We and third parties may use this information for a variety of purposes, such as enabling the sites to function, to personalize your experience when using our sites, and for analytical purposes. Read our privacy policy and terms of use for details. close

Reject All Accept All