Michael A. Pitre

Many people have different heroes, heroes like George Washington, Martin Luther King, Thomas Jefferson. In comparison, my hero may sound simple, but then again, you don’t know him like I do. My hero is my dad, and he is the most important influence in my life. By my definition, a hero is someone who is willing to take challenges others shy away from. Someone who strives to be all that they can be. A hero is selfless, someone who puts others before themselves. That someone is my father, and he is one of the most honest, caring, selfless men I know.

(Michael Pitre) (taken by Lewis Gooch)

My dad was born on November 12, 1966 in New Orleans, Louisiana. He was raised by his parents in Louisiana, where he was born. They taught him values, like honesty, love, responsibility, and integrity. He was raised in a healthy home with good parents. This is one of the reasons why he has grown up to be such a great father to me. In school, he was an average student, and he didn’t attend college after high school. However, after a few years working in a shipyard, he decided to go to college. His dream was to become a mechanical engineer, and it just wasn’t happening at a shipyard. After graduating from college, he went on to become an electrical engineer. He wishes to this day that he could have become a mechanical engineer.

Nearly everybody has a hero when they were young. My father was no exception. His hero, and the person he looked up to, was his dad. His dad was a person of integrity, someone who loved him greatly and did everything possible for him. His dad taught him what values to stand by, and why. As I look at them both, I am amazed at how similar the two of them are. My dad has grown up to be just like his dad. He is honest, responsible, he doesn’t give up, and most important, he loves his family more than anything else in the world.

When asked if he thought of himself as a hero, my dad said, “No. A hero is someone who is above average.” In some ways, this statement is true, but not all. A hero doesn’t have to be a hero to everybody. When you think of the word hero, you think of important people who did something exceptional that stood out in history. But a hero can be someone who just tries to do good whenever they can. A hero can be someone who helps others. A hero can even be someone who simply loves their family.

My dad is my hero because he always tries to do the right thing. He does everything he can for his family and his friends, and he learns from his mistakes. But most importantly, he cares for our family, and he always puts our needs before his own. This is what makes my dad a natural leader, and what makes him my hero. I am proud to have him in my family.