Who’s Your Hero?
Salma decided to become a swimmer because of her hero, Yusra Mardini. Many kids—and even adults—have their own heroes, too. Your hero can be anybody: a celebrity, a fictional character, or someone you know! But most heroes have a few things in common:
- A hero is someone who inspires you—maybe they did something that you thought was cool or made art you thought was brilliant; maybe they are a good person you know who really means a lot to you.
- A hero is someone who can be a compass for you—leading you by example and helping you navigate your choices and actions.
Salma’s hero is the celebrated Olympic swimmer Yusra Mardini because:
- Yusra is a Syrian-born refugee just like Salma. Salma is proud to be a Syrian girl and loves that she has other Syrians to look up to.
- Yusra swam across the sea to help her sister and her family, and then she found her way to a new home. This means a lot to Salma, who also loves her family, especially her new sister Nora.
- Yusra competed in the Olympics, and Salma knows only the strongest, most dedicated people get to go to the Olympics.
Ayman’s hero is Iron Man, a fictional character that he loves! Ayman’s choice was easy for him because:
- Iron Man has a lot of gadgets: a robot he talks to, a 3D computer he can play video games on, and an iron suit that he can use to fight bad guys. Ayman would be great at fighting bad guys too if he had an iron suit.
- Iron Man is kind. Even when he hides it with jokes, he always finds a way to help others. Ayman likes to prank his friends, but he also cares about them.
- Iron Man is friends with both Black Panther and the Hulk. Ayman wishes he was friends with Black Panther, too. Black Panther wouldn’t be friends with Iron Man if Iron Man wasn’t a good guy.
Riya’s hero is her aunt Arundhati, her Amma’s youngest sister and the free spirit of the family. Riya looks up to Arundhati because:
- She is outspoken and knows what’s happening in the world around her. Riya hopes to be as smart as her aunt one day.
- She is funny and loves life. She even took a ride on the carousel with Riya in Playland and laughed all the way through. Riya wants to be this adventurous one day, and to keep laughing and enjoying kids’ things.
- She cries watching movies, even the funny ones. She feels for the characters on the screen. Riya wants to be as empathetic as her aunt when she grows up.
Now, it’s your turn to come up with your own hero!
Circle one of the options. Is your hero:
- a celebrity
- someone you know
- a fictional character
What is the name of your hero?
When was the first time you heard about your hero?
What makes them special to you?
What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned from your hero so far?
Like Salma, Ayman, and Riya, list three things you love about your hero and why these things matter to you. Fill in the blanks:
My hero is ____________________. I know this because __________________________________. I also want to be _____________________________ like my hero, because _________________________________.
My hero is ____________________. I know this because __________________________________. I also want to be _____________________________ like my hero, because _________________________________.
My hero is ____________________. I know this because __________________________________. I also want to be _____________________________ like my hero, because _________________________________.