Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger

Governor Arnold, 2005 (orbitcast)

A hero in many terms of the word, that is what I think of when I think of Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. He was born in Thal, Austria in 1947 and became a US Citizen in 1983. And he is currently residing in California as the 38th Governor. He is not a hero to me because that is what he sometimes plays in the movies, but because of his contributions to children and the Special Olympics.

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is embr (gloeandmall.com)

In 1979, years before he was a governor, he was a Special Olympics international weight training coach. Today, he and his wife, Maria Shriver, still serve as global ambassadors for the Special Olympics and give the program a great amount of support. His involvement in the Special Olympics was the start to a lifetime dedication to children and children’s programs, which has escalated thoughout the years. It was in 1990 when President Bush recognized Schwarzenegger's commitment to youth and appointed him Chair of the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports. During this time he traveled to the 50 states and discovered a great need for after-school activities and alternatives.

This was the fuel for fire which led him to personally design and sponsor Proposition 49, the "After School Education and Safety Program Act of 2002." Proposition 49 was an initiative to make state grants available for after school programs in California. Governor Schwarzenegger is also the founder of the "After School All Stars." This is a program that offers a fun, nurturing, and safe place for children to be when they might not have anywhere else. It was set up to help keep at-risk kids safe and out of trouble. And the "After School All Stars” program is one that can be implemented anywhere.

Using his position as governor he is now working on improving schools and schooling in California. He is also committed to improving student achievement. Meanwhile, he is still raising money for and actively supporting the Special Olympics and the "After School All Stars" programs. It is because of his dedication to the improvement of youth’s lives and his involvement with the Special Olympics that I have chosen Arnold Schwarzenegger as my hero. To me he exemplifies all the qualities I feel a hero should - trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring, and citizenship. He is a hero for the children, for the people - he is GOVERNOR ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER.