My Heroes

A hero is often defined as any person, especially a man, admired for qualities or achievements and regarded as an ideal or model. Going by this definition, at least 30 people come to my mind immediately. There are so many people that I look up to that have influenced me for the better, but for this essay I could not possibly write about all of them. I spent a lot of time thinking of who I could write about as my hero and I couldn't narrow it down to just one person. The people that kept coming to mind though, with the exception of a few, all had one thing in common. I had met them all at Camp Ernst. I have spent my last two summers at this camp and wouldn't have it any other way. Through this camp I have learned things about myself that I never expected to, like how much hardship I can withstand and how much joy I can find in the little things of life. My life isn't even remotely close to being perfect and many times in my past situations have drastically turned for the worst, so gaining these qualities has been a life savor for me. The people at camp have not only taught me a lot about myself, but they have also taught me about life in general and how to live it to the fullest. It might sound cliche, but they really have. Through the weeks I have spent with them we all lived together and no other experience has forced me to laugh off frustrating circumstances faster than I would ever have expected myself to. Camp can be a wonderful, peaceful, relaxing get away, but at times too much to handle. Between the endless responsibilities thrown at us, the pressure of succeeding in these responsibilities, and trying to make camp an enjoyable experience for the kids as well, camp can get extremely hectic very quickly. I'll admit that I am usually known to lose my temper with the blink of an eye, but being with these people brought out a different side of me that I didn't even know existed. When I am at camp surrounded by my true friends I can honestly say I feel like a whole new person. I don't worry about how I look or try to impress anyone I'm around. I can go crazy and just be myself without worrying whether or not they'll judge me for how I act. They know all of my faults, have seen me when I'm at my lowest points in life, and still manage to care for me all the same. I have no doubt in my mind that I could call any one of these girls and they would be by my side in a second without question. These girls have changed my life for the better. I can honestly say that I do not know where I would be today if they had never come into my life. They have made me who I am today and to me, they will always be true heroes.

My Story

Welcome! My name is Maddie O'Flaherty. I am a 16 year old currently attending Anderson High School in Cincinnati, Ohio. This is my first year at Anderson. I spent my other two years of high school at McNicholas High School. I live with my mom, my dad and my sister in Cincinnati. My sister is 18 years old and we are very close. My dad came to America from England which can be interesting. He is very into soccer and was my soccer coach from age 7 until age 14. I quit soccer at the age of 14 and started playing volleyball. I played volleyball until my freshman year of high school and then decided to stop playing that also. I am enjoying my high school years and am looking forward to the next year and a half that I have here at Anderson High School.