By: Victoria Bekian

Since the beginning of civilization, many personal, as well as social, issues arose within mankind. Personal issues, such as the importance of acting on your dreams, and social issues, such as the positive role of teachers, were always on people’s minds. As the years crept by, society advanced and life, somehow, was just not the same anymore. The human species evolved and grew stronger, better, and smarter. Technology came into being, thus causing great increase in food production, any necessary materials, and population. Finally, on October 4, 1957, all eyes were upon a shiny metal gadget, soaring through the sky. This shiny gadget, Sputnik, was the first man-made satellite to ever orbit the Earth and was made by the Soviet Union. People, young and old, as in “October Sky,” gazed at the sky in amazement and wondered why they never thought of creating such a neat toy. Then, one day, someone decided to face the personal issues of acting on his dreams and taking advantage of the positive role of teachers to help him reach his goal. Homer, the protagonist of the film, “October Sky,” lives with his mother, father, and older brother. Homer’s mother is a housewife; kind, caring, and tidy. She is quite protective of her sons and is ready to give her full attention, support, and love whenever needed. Homer’s father is a bit different in the sense that his love for his children is not as obvious as his wife’s. He works in a coal mind and is very proud of it. According to him, the only success possible for his sons is coal mining. Homer’s brother is an ordinary older brother, one that Homer is constantly compared to. On the day that Sputnik was released, Homer decided to do something different with his life. He decided to stand out from the crowd, make something of himself, and not follow his father’s path. The thought of creating a rocket, a mini-Sputnik, proving to himself as well as to others, that he was capable of doing something other than mining. Most people peering into Homer’s life would be able to fit right into his shoes. One will forever have dreams and will forever want to stand out, making himself above society. One always had ideas and want to act upon them, even if sometimes is isn’t socially just. Once upon a time, I dreamed of becoming a writer. Telling stories, generating fantasy-lands, and capturing the minds, souls, and hearts of people simply amazed me and lured me into grabbing a pen and paper to jot some thoughts and ideas down. At the time, this was a great idea. As a career, I thought I would write stories, sell them, live in a cozy little cottage atop a mountain and make a living. However, my fairytale was shattered once I was introduced to criticism. People reviewed my stories, made comments I didn’t want to hear, and basically told me I wasn’t good enough. My own parents said, “Maybe you aren’t a good enough writer to actually make a living that way…Maybe you should just become a computer programmer like everyone else, we need those…” I was one of many not supported by my family, friends or anyone else. Homer’s ideas of building a rocket was taken as a joke by his friends, classmates, and especially by his father. Mining was the career of that time, and anything beyond that was considered absurd and irrational. His father made it very clear that he wasn’t going to support his son unless he would go into mining. He made Homer feel dumb and pointless, claiming he wasn’t capable of doing anything but mining because he shouldn’t even be thinking of anything else. Homer was forced to struggle and overcome his father’s lack of support and recognition of becoming something better and living a better life. Gratefully, Homer’s teacher, Ms. Riley, supported him all the way and gave him the courage to act on his dreams. The role of teachers is extremely important in one’s life. More than one fourth of each person’s life is spent in school, educating and conversing with teachers. Each and every teacher, fine or dreadful, has a great impact on one’s life. After my first failure of the story I wrote, I went crying to my teacher, Ms. Charne. She wiped my tears, read my story, smiled, and started talking. That smile stayed on her face, even while making criticisms and corrections. At the end she said, “I have faith in you and I believe that with every story you write, improvement will come your way. I am here for you whenever you may need me.” Those simple words and her kind gestures made it clear that she was in full support, even though not one other person was. With my renewed courage and her inspiration, I was able to pick up my pen and paper, once again, and let my thoughts and ideas flow. Her encouragement and motivation gave me the power to act on my dreams and never give up. Homer finally built his rocket and let it free to fly high in the sky. Seeing this amazing accomplishment and all of the hand work and dedication put into this project, hearts began to soften and people realized that mining wasn’t the only way of life. Homer’s father accepted the fact that he was going to be loved and respected by his sons, no matter what they decided to do in life. As long as they will be happy and successful, the way in which they go about doing it is irrelevant. Acting on your dreams is a very important part of one’s life. However, with a teacher’s help and support, this dream is not so hard to reach anymore.

Since the beginning of civilization, many personal, as well as social, issues arose within mankind. Personal issues, such as the importance of acting on your dreams, and social issues, such as the positive role of teachers, were always on people’s minds. As the years crept by, society advanced and life, somehow, was just not the same anymore. The human species evolved and grew stronger, better, and smarter. Technology came into being, thus causing great increase in food production, any necessary materials, and population. Finally, on October 4, 1957, all eyes were upon a shiny metal gadget, soaring through the sky. This shiny gadget, Sputnik, was the first man-made satellite to ever orbit the Earth and was made by the Soviet Union. People, young and old, as in “October Sky,” gazed at the sky in amazement and wondered why they never thought of creating such a neat toy. Then, one day, someone decided to face the personal issues of acting on his dreams and taking advantage of the positive role of teachers to help him reach his goal. Homer, the protagonist of the film, “October Sky,” lives with his mother, father, and older brother. Homer’s mother is a housewife; kind, caring, and tidy. She is quite protective of her sons and is ready to give her full attention, support, and love whenever needed. Homer’s father is a bit different in the sense that his love for his children is not as obvious as his wife’s. He works in a coal mind and is very proud of it. According to him, the only success possible for his sons is coal mining. Homer’s brother is an ordinary older brother, one that Homer is constantly compared to. On the day that Sputnik was released, Homer decided to do something different with his life. He decided to stand out from the crowd, make something of himself, and not follow his father’s path. The thought of creating a rocket, a mini-Sputnik, proving to himself as well as to others, that he was capable of doing something other than mining. Most people peering into Homer’s life would be able to fit right into his shoes. One will forever have dreams and will forever want to stand out, making himself above society. One always had ideas and want to act upon them, even if sometimes is isn’t socially just. Once upon a time, I dreamed of becoming a writer. Telling stories, generating fantasy-lands, and capturing the minds, souls, and hearts of people simply amazed me and lured me into grabbing a pen and paper to jot some thoughts and ideas down. At the time, this was a great idea. As a career, I thought I would write stories, sell them, live in a cozy little cottage atop a mountain and make a living. However, my fairytale was shattered once I was introduced to criticism. People reviewed my stories, made comments I didn’t want to hear, and basically told me I wasn’t good enough. My own parents said, “Maybe you aren’t a good enough writer to actually make a living that way…Maybe you should just become a computer programmer like everyone else, we need those…” I was one of many not supported by my family, friends or anyone else. Homer’s ideas of building a rocket was taken as a joke by his friends, classmates, and especially by his father. Mining was the career of that time, and anything beyond that was considered absurd and irrational. His father made it very clear that he wasn’t going to support his son unless he would go into mining. He made Homer feel dumb and pointless, claiming he wasn’t capable of doing anything but mining because he shouldn’t even be thinking of anything else. Homer was forced to struggle and overcome his father’s lack of support and recognition of becoming something better and living a better life. Gratefully, Homer’s teacher, Ms. Riley, supported him all the way and gave him the courage to act on his dreams. The role of teachers is extremely important in one’s life. More than one fourth of each person’s life is spent in school, educating and conversing with teachers. Each and every teacher, fine or dreadful, has a great impact on one’s life. After my first failure of the story I wrote, I went crying to my teacher, Ms. Charne. She wiped my tears, read my story, smiled, and started talking. That smile stayed on her face, even while making criticisms and corrections. At the end she said, “I have faith in you and I believe that with every story you write, improvement will come your way. I am here for you whenever you may need me.” Those simple words and her kind gestures made it clear that she was in full support, even though not one other person was. With my renewed courage and her inspiration, I was able to pick up my pen and paper, once again, and let my thoughts and ideas flow. Her encouragement and motivation gave me the power to act on my dreams and never give up. Homer finally built his rocket and let it free to fly high in the sky. Seeing this amazing accomplishment and all of the hand work and dedication put into this project, hearts began to soften and people realized that mining wasn’t the only way of life. Homer’s father accepted the fact that he was going to be loved and respected by his sons, no matter what they decided to do in life. As long as they will be happy and successful, the way in which they go about doing it is irrelevant. Acting on your dreams is a very important part of one’s life. However, with a teacher’s help and support, this dream is not so hard to reach anymore.

Since the beginning of civilization, many personal, as well as social, issues arose within mankind. Personal issues, such as the importance of acting on your dreams, and social issues, such as the positive role of teachers, were always on people’s minds. As the years crept by, society advanced and life, somehow, was just not the same anymore. The human species evolved and grew stronger, better, and smarter. Technology came into being, thus causing great increase in food production, any necessary materials, and population. Finally, on October 4, 1957, all eyes were upon a shiny metal gadget, soaring through the sky. This shiny gadget, Sputnik, was the first man-made satellite to ever orbit the Earth and was made by the Soviet Union. People, young and old, as in “October Sky,” gazed at the sky in amazement and wondered why they never thought of creating such a neat toy. Then, one day, someone decided to face the personal issues of acting on his dreams and taking advantage of the positive role of teachers to help him reach his goal. Homer, the protagonist of the film, “October Sky,” lives with his mother, father, and older brother. Homer’s mother is a housewife; kind, caring, and tidy. She is quite protective of her sons and is ready to give her full attention, support, and love whenever needed. Homer’s father is a bit different in the sense that his love for his children is not as obvious as his wife’s. He works in a coal mind and is very proud of it. According to him, the only success possible for his sons is coal mining. Homer’s brother is an ordinary older brother, one that Homer is constantly compared to. On the day that Sputnik was released, Homer decided to do something different with his life. He decided to stand out from the crowd, make something of himself, and not follow his father’s path. The thought of creating a rocket, a mini-Sputnik, proving to himself as well as to others, that he was capable of doing something other than mining. Most people peering into Homer’s life would be able to fit right into his shoes. One will forever have dreams and will forever want to stand out, making himself above society. One always had ideas and want to act upon them, even if sometimes is isn’t socially just. Once upon a time, I dreamed of becoming a writer. Telling stories, generating fantasy-lands, and capturing the minds, souls, and hearts of people simply amazed me and lured me into grabbing a pen and paper to jot some thoughts and ideas down. At the time, this was a great idea. As a career, I thought I would write stories, sell them, live in a cozy little cottage atop a mountain and make a living. However, my fairytale was shattered once I was introduced to criticism. People reviewed my stories, made comments I didn’t want to hear, and basically told me I wasn’t good enough. My own parents said, “Maybe you aren’t a good enough writer to actually make a living that way…Maybe you should just become a computer programmer like everyone else, we need those…” I was one of many not supported by my family, friends or anyone else. Homer’s ideas of building a rocket was taken as a joke by his friends, classmates, and especially by his father. Mining was the career of that time, and anything beyond that was considered absurd and irrational. His father made it very clear that he wasn’t going to support his son unless he would go into mining. He made Homer feel dumb and pointless, claiming he wasn’t capable of doing anything but mining because he shouldn’t even be thinking of anything else. Homer was forced to struggle and overcome his father’s lack of support and recognition of becoming something better and living a better life. Gratefully, Homer’s teacher, Ms. Riley, supported him all the way and gave him the courage to act on his dreams. The role of teachers is extremely important in one’s life. More than one fourth of each person’s life is spent in school, educating and conversing with teachers. Each and every teacher, fine or dreadful, has a great impact on one’s life. After my first failure of the story I wrote, I went crying to my teacher, Ms. Charne. She wiped my tears, read my story, smiled, and started talking. That smile stayed on her face, even while making criticisms and corrections. At the end she said, “I have faith in you and I believe that with every story you write, improvement will come your way. I am here for you whenever you may need me.” Those simple words and her kind gestures made it clear that she was in full support, even though not one other person was. With my renewed courage and her inspiration, I was able to pick up my pen and paper, once again, and let my thoughts and ideas flow. Her encouragement and motivation gave me the power to act on my dreams and never give up. Homer finally built his rocket and let it free to fly high in the sky. Seeing this amazing accomplishment and all of the hand work and dedication put into this project, hearts began to soften and people realized that mining wasn’t the only way of life. Homer’s father accepted the fact that he was going to be loved and respected by his sons, no matter what they decided to do in life. As long as they will be happy and successful, the way in which they go about doing it is irrelevant. Acting on your dreams is a very important part of one’s life. However, with a teacher’s help and support, this dream is not so hard to reach anymore.