We’ve highlighted responses from some of the brightest and most talented artists, creatives, and entrepreneurs in the community below.

Jessica Restel

My grandfather is actually my hero! One of the most important things he ever taught to me was to never give up on my dreams. He always believed in us. He gave up everything he ever knew, his family, his friends, to come to the US on the Freedom Flights, to give us a better life. It is something I will always be thankful for and strive to make sure his sacrifices don’t go unnoticed. Read more>>

Dorian Jordan

When people ask me who my hero is, my answer is simple: Khristopher Alexander Fields. He’s not just a leader or the founder of the Wise Up to Rise Up Foundation—he’s someone who has changed the way I think about life, service, and what it means to make an impact. Read more>>

Ho-soo Park

My hero is CM Punk. This might be an odd choice as my current hero because he’s a professional wrestler in the WWE. I admire and look up to him so much because he isn’t afraid to speak his mind. The lesson I’ve learned from him is no matter how toxic a workplace can be, it’s ok to leave for a certain amount of time and then return better than ever. I’ve personally left something to get myself better and currently for me, I’m doing better than ever. Read more>>

Chloe Webb

My father is my hero and inspiration behind my photography. He was a rock band photographer for a radio station in my hometown. He took photos of many stars such as Van Halen and Bon Jovi. Growing up I was always exposed to photography and heard about his stories shooting photos. My mother also spent a lot of time working at a photo developing store as well. It shaped my love for photography and at a very early age and was gifted a camera to start my journey with. It’s been non stop ever since. Read more>>

Parker Bridges

My mother, is my hero. I think despite everything that has gone on in her life she is still standing here loving people and trying to make the world a bit better everyday. The biggest thing I learned from watching her is adopting a spirit of resilience. She won’t let herself stay down for too long, every morning she is still up at the crack of dawn and starting her work. We lost our home in North Carolina due to issues with trusting the wrong people in the renovation process. It hit her hard. Honestly, watching it break her down, crushed me. Not her, though. Not even a week later she had here eyes set on next steps, tackling the next project. It taught me to lean into life instead of away from it when the hits come. Take time to process what happened and get up and move forward, nothing good comes from stagnating. Read more>>