““I’m sure being at a school like this, you live with a lot of pretty intense parental expectations … . There is a way, if you’re smart and you’re disciplined about your time, to take your own dreams as seriously as you take your parents’ expectations. If you have something that’s burning inside of you, don’t let go of it.””
Gene Luen Yang
Graphic novelist and author of Dragon Hoops, this year’s ninth-grade common read.
““Creativity is enhanced in teams, particularly teams with diverse ways of thinking. The more diversity and thinking you have in a team, the more ideas you generate and the more creative that team will be. You have to be impervious to the fear of being wrong. Those scientists that said, ‘You can’t do this; this is impossible’ — you have to keep that at bay.””
Michael Strano
Professor in chemical engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
““Wilderness is not just about the animals or the beauty or the adventure. It’s about what it teaches us, what it makes us realize. It offers us a way to reconnect with something real. There’s no cellphone service, no stores, little comfort or conveniences — it strips things down to the basics. When I’m out there, I remember who I am without all the distractions. With only myself to rely on, I rediscover my strength through my ability to endure.””
Tia Shoemaker
Registered Alaska hunting guide, writer and conservation advocate
““We all have aspirations we’re chasing — whether it’s a dream, a goal, a career, or a role on a team — and in pursuit of those goals we’re all going to face challenges [and] obstacles. It’s inevitable. Unfortunately, those challenges can be a deterrence for pursuing our aspirations. It can stop us in our tracks, causing a fear of failure and/ or doubt. But we also have the choice to endure and commit the effort to chase that dream.””
Scott “Kidd” Poteet
Retired lieutenant colonel and mission pilot in the United States Air Force; commercial astronaut and triathlete
