Jose F. Malagon

The word hero means many things from a physical hero to an emotional hero to a symbolical hero. Hero is someone who does well and does everything to help. But to me, my father is my hero.

My father has been my hero since the day I found out what hero means, which was when I was 6 years old. Ever since, I always felt that my dad was special to me like for some reason he always pushed me to try my best at basically everything. Until now I know why he did this. My father, when growing up, didn't get the opportunity that I have. That opportunity is that I go to school and he didn't. He never got the chance. When he was growing up his life was filled with poverty and sadness.

When he was entering middle school, my grandparents forced him to go work at the farms and hills herding sheep. He was forced to help them because my grandparents weren't financially stable and they needed the money. My father had to go from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. to the hills to work.  At the age of seventeen, my father came to the United States to have a better life than what he had in Mexico. 

As a child my father always wanted to be a mechanic but he couldn't get this job because he didn't have the correct education. Since he couldn't get a job as a mechanic, he had to get a job as a cook. Since then he still works as a cook. As my father told me this I was shocked. I never knew this until now. This is why my father always told me to do my best in school and try my best. He told me to follow my dreams no matter what. This is why my father is my hero.