Neil Armstrong As A Role Model

The concept of a role model has evolved throughout time. Role models of the past accomplished extraordinary achievements, while some illustrations of present role models are based on their actions as shared by today’s social media networks. It seems though, that it is easy to mistake the significance of a role model in the present day. Based on the Collins English Dictionary the first known origin of the word was between 1955 and 1960. While I wasn’t born in the 1960s, the definition in a dictionary of a role model hasn’t changed between then and now. The formal definition of a role model in a dictionary is simple; a person who serves as a model within a social role for another individual; somebody who serves as an example of the values and

It was July 21st 1969, when Neil Armstrong, an American astronaut, was the first person to have ever set foot on the moon. Not just children, but the majority of families who were watching the televised event throughout the nation must have then collectively decided that Armstrong would be one of their new role models; he certainly fits into the traditional definition of a role model. According to NASA, Armstrong earned a bachelor’s degree after serving in the Korean War and then, over the next 17 years, he was an engineer, test pilot, astronaut and administrator for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. These are achievements that can categorize a role model in both the past and present

Thus any person of any age can be a role model, whether the person has impacted the individual’s day, or changed the course of life. I encounter role models on a daily basis throughout my regular white collar life. In this instance, it was 8:00 am in the morning, the sun was just right above the horizon with limited visibility due to the sun’s glare. Driving to work in rush hour traffic can become very habitual and uneventful, but when pulling up to a traffic light, I noticed a senior citizen who was struggling to cross the street. Walking up behind her was a teenager, who did not waste any time and helped the senior cross the street safely. This small courageous act is what made this particular teenager a hero for the helpless senior. He may not have wanted to become a role model to anyone and he most likely isn’t a famous athlete or well-known person, but a bystander has videotaped the act and uploaded it right away to Facebook, a social media platform, where it was shared by other people within a short period of time. This short ten second video changes the perception of teenagers and has made this individual a role model to other teens across the