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

My hero is my dad. He raised eight children while working a full-time union job for over 30 years. Life was never easy for him—despite his steady work, we lived in poverty, struggling just to keep a roof over our heads and food on the table. I remember watching how hard he worked, day in and day out, even when he was sick, even after going on disability. He never gave up. Read more>>
Lisa Mangum

Mom was a writer and an editor, which meant that I grew up in a home full of words and books. I remember being a young child and taking a copy of The Secret Garden to my mom and asking her to read it to me. That began my lifelong love of books and words. Read more>>
Pamela Tiner

My hero is my mom. She was a woman ahead of her time—opening a business in the early 90s when female entrepreneurs, especially in small towns, were a rarity. She took her passion for gymnastics and turned it into something powerful: a thriving gym that touched hundreds of lives, gave kids a place to grow strong and confident, and gave women—me included—permission to dream big. Read more>>
Jayna Sheats

My hero is named Hanna Hoffmann-Schoenberg, a citizen of Germany (I can’t say what her profession is, for reasons that will become clear in a moment). She is one year younger than I.
And entirely fictional.
Hanna understands my life (which is, of course, why I created her), She has been there all along; I just didn’t listen to her until seven years ago. Her struggles have been my struggles, and even when we made different choices, we knew, like close sisters, what the other was feeling. And once I’d helped her find the way to the summit of her ascent, I realized that she had led me to my own. Read more>>
Emilia Barb
Growing up, my hero was an old neighbour of mine who was more like a grandmother – survivor of both World Wars, Pisces (just like myself), a gentle soul with a sharp tongue and a house filled with books, art and memories that belong to a forgotten world. Her resilience and grace have taught me a lot about strength and even today, when I falter, I think about her and our summer days spent eating salty crackers and ice cream on the bench. Read more>>
Carmen Man
My dad is my hero. Over the years, he has taught me countless lessons, but two stand out the most:
Finish what you start – No matter how things look in the middle, see them all the way through.
Priorities, Responsibility, and Accountability – His mantra for success in life was simple: align these three, and you’ll go far. Read more>>