Jennifer Bortz

                     Webster's Dictionary defines "hero" as "an object of admiration and devotion," This reminds people my age of their complete love for Taylor Swift or how Peyton Manning scored that touchdown last Sunday, and I'm sure they're entertaining to them for all different reasons. However I believe the real Heroes are the ones that do not receive anything in return. I know I'm not the first person to come up with this idea, but I definitely have enough evidence to prove it thanks to Jennifer Bortz.

              There's a common saying that what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. Now, Jennifer Bortz is definitely a model of just that. She doesn't use her childhood as an excuse to fail but rather a motivation to succeed. Now Jennifer Bortz is CEO/Founder of a small theater and Media company, Stand Out Talent, in my town, Roseville, CA. Now on the surface there doesn't seem to be many heroics in that statement, but if you dive into what this woman has done for the community and these kids it would shock and amaze you. She says her father is a common reason for who she is today. She was raised by her grandparent until she was nine years old, because her father wanted the attention of her mother directed towards him, a high school band teacher who pretty much was music. He directed every musical program on campus from marching band to choir. This is why when he heard her sing at age nine he took her on full time getting the world every opportunity there was to hear what she had to sing. Though he was cruel and at times abusive, Bortz survived in a way that very few people in her position have, by learning. She saw how he treated her and what it felt like to be on the receiving end, and she used that as a guideline on, frankly, what not to do.

This is a picture of Jennifer Bortz and her family. (www.facebook.com (Jennifer Bortz))

               She married a fellow actor, Jason Bortz, and had two healthy children, Clarity and Caleb. She has a healthy relationship with her mother and grandmother, and seems to have forgiven her late father for how he treated her. She started Stand Out Talent a little over a year ago and sparked a flame in the community. She continues to be very humble and helpful. However, what really impresses people is how much she cares for these kids, including me.

                 I first met Mrs. Bortz almost two years ago. She was creating a production of "Disney's The Aristocats Kids," and she immediately became a huge inspiration in my life. An important message you need to know about Mrs. Bortz is that when people tell her no she is motivated to prove them wrong. We all can learn from that. She is a fighter; she won't give up. When you are angry, sad, or just having an off day she won't quit until you feel better. Think of the hardest day you've ever had, then think of all the things you've heard people say to you, now think of the one thing you wanted to hear but didn't. If you knew a person like Jennifer Bortz then you probably couldn't come up with anything for the last question. Her dream was to get the Tower Theatre and watch her business shine. There were a lot of hardships before that dream became a reality. It inspired others to make their dreams shine as bright as hers. Jennifer Bortz has touched and changed a lot of people's lives, and there is no praise great enough to repay her.

                To conclude, there are a lot of people who we can think of who have changed our lives for the better. We have learned a lot of lessons, some the easy way others not so much. Teachers will come and go and teach us important things like English or geometry, but this one teacher, the one that we all know or can remember, they teach us the most important lesson to learn. Jennifer Bortz taught me to dream.