Steve Jobs

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"A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles," (Christopher Reeve Quotes).  Those are the words that directly explain my hero, Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple, who constantly raised the bar of technology. From the very beginning of Steve's life he had always had an eye for intelligence. Jobs was born on February 24, 1955 in San Francisco, California to his adoptive parents, Paul and Clara. Steve was different than most teenage boys, he had his head screwed on right, knowing what he wanted to do from the beginning. That something he wanted to do, he had an enormous passion for, (Brashares, Ann). In his teenage years, Jobs graduated from Santa Clara's Homestead High School in 1972 and later on, went to Reed College for a year and a half, (Newsmakers). Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak then met each other when and they realized they both had a love for electronics, which caused them to instantly bond with each other, becoming friends, (Brashares, Ann). In April 2005, Jobs was named the top 100 most influential people by Time Magazine, and on October 05, 2011 in Palo Alto, California, United States Steve Jobs was reported dead. (Newsmakers). A hero is one who possesses traits above and beyond that of the average person, being unforgettable people, who never stop in their willing to help. Steve Jobs is admirable because he had a determination to improve the lives of others, and dedication, hence he is a hero.

Determination is one's striving to succeed, and to do well with what they are passionate about. That was exactly what Steve Jobs had embedded as part of him, being a hero to many in our world, in the past, present, and future. Apple started in Job's garage, to many may be a shocker, but to a few it was no surprise. He was from an average middle class family, but because of his hard work his name became popular worldwide. "The company was started in a garage by Jobs and his colleague Steve Wozniak-and its PCs changed the face of computing," (Bloomsbury Business Library). Steve Jobs was determined to start a business with what he was passionate about. Jobs wasn't rich, nor was he a celebrity before he started Apple, therefore, he did everything and anything to start him and Steve Wozniak's company. Jobs didn't need anyone to tell him what to do and how to do it, he had the determination himself to make a difference and to improve a company that had a lot of potential. "He still pushed boundaries but in ways that more consistently worked in Apple's favor. And working with chief operating officer Tim Cook, later to succeed him as CEO, he turned the company into a wildly profitable exemplar of efficiency," (McCracken, Harry). Jobs had a determination to push boundaries that never had been pushed before, most of those pushed boundaries being successful, and others unsuccessful. Jobs was able to turn computers made in his garage into a huge thriving company, known today as Apple. Through Steve Job's determination for perfection and for success, to prove what he could do, and what technology could become, he was able to show millions of people how technology can be much more complex than it was known to be.

(http://articles.businessinsider.com/2010-04-29/tech/30026862_1_ipad-flash-content-pcs ())

Though Jobs had a passion to create electronics that changed the world, he also had a strive to improve the lives of others everywhere. With Apple, there was always something new and innovative coming out to the market, that had never been expected. Jobs had a gift to surprise the world with what they thought could have never existed otherwise. "Jobs has been a force for ongoing innovation in the computer and personal electronics industry, consistently anticipating consumers' needs and seeking to create products that would fill those needs even before people knew they had them," (Kimmel, Leigh Husband). He never failed impressing anyone on his new innovations, which assisted the lives technologically of others. In most ways people never would have believed without him.  Just thirty years ago computers were unheard of, Jobs being a hero to our world, brought us five steps ahead, which made the lives of people around the world less complicated technologically. Being extremely successful in his life, Jobs took numerous opportunities to help others around the world with his wealth, and by being a part of, and creating charities. "The company had given tens of millions of dollars that have transformed the lives of more than two million Africans through H.I.V. testing, treatment and counseling. This is serious and significant. And Apple's involvement has encouraged other companies to step up,' Bono wrote.'Just because he's been extremely busy, that doesn't mean that he and his wife, Laurene, have not been thinking about these things,' "(Whoriskey). Jobs had helped the lives of others not only through technology but through donations from his charities. His willingness to assist others in need was unsurpassed, starting and participating in multiple charities by donating to others what he had worked hard to earn. A hero is someone that can do something out of the willingness of their heart because they want to, not because it looks good for them, and that was exactly what Jobs did.

Jobs had a sense of never giving up dedication to prove himself, but most importantly he created what technology evolved into. Apple had many fallouts and hard economic times, to the point of almost closing its doors, but Jobs saw the potential in the company, and his dedication got Apple extremely far. "'Victory in our industry is spelled survival,' he told TIME in 2001, when Apple was still on the rebound. 'The way we're going to survive is to innovate our way out of this,' " (McCracken, Harry). After 9-11, the economy went down dramatically, and Apple was no exception to that downfall. Jobs had a never ending dedication for Apple and its success, especially after several economic downfalls. Jobs had picked up the pace in Apple's success, and he was able to show the world the new innovative products him and Wozniak had to offer. "By the year 2000, Apple was back on its feet again, and the 2001 introduction of the iPod music player secured its future as a growing company. Throughout the first decade of the twenty-first century, the iPod went through multiple versions, eventually spawning the iPhone, a combination cellular phone, personal digital assistant (PDA), and music player with a slick, sophisticated interface," (Kimmel, Leigh Husband). When Apple got back on their feet, that was when Jobs had come back, being more dedicated than ever to the company. From his strive and dedication he worked an abundance of hours to create the iPod and iPhone. Those two pieces alone had changed the face of technology today. Without the significant help of Steve Jobs, technology wouldn't have evolved the way it has. Dedication is that of a hero, someone that never gives up whether it be in good or bad times.

(http://ipkitten.blogspot.com/2012/01/corporation-shows-heartfelt-concern.html ())

Determination, strive to improve the lives of others, and dedication were three of many aspects to Steve Jobs' heroism throughout his lifetime. Being a hero can mean many things, but they always have an unsurpassed wanting to do anything they put their mind to. Steve Jobs inspires me tremendously because of the drive and passion he had for life and for working hard. He was able to shut out the negative influences on his life and he turned them into great successes, in society today we could take so much from what Jobs had done, starting from almost nothing, (McCracken, Harry). Unlike most, Jobs had a "calling for others," not just doing what he did for money, but for others. With his self-willingness and motivation to create what had never been created, Steve Jobs is a representation of a genuine hero.

Works Consulted

Brashares, Ann. "Steve Jobs: Thinks Different." Steve Jobs: Thinks Different (2001): 7. Biography Reference Center. Web. 3 May 2012.

"Christopher Reeve Quotes." BrainyQuote. Xplore, 1999-2012. Web. 16 May 2012. .

Kimmel, Leigh Husband, and Kimmel Leigh Husband. "Steve Jobs." Great Lives From History: Inventors & Inventions (2008): 1. Biography Reference Center. Web. 10 May 2012.

McCracken, Harry. "Steve Jobs, 1955-2011: Mourning Technology's Great Reinventor." Time. Time, 05 Oct. 2011. Web. 09 May 2012. .

 "Steve Jobs." Bloomsbury Business Library - Business Thinkers & Management Giants (2007):

20. Biography Reference Center. Web. 2 May 2012.

"Steve Jobs." (n.d.): Biography Reference Center. Web. 2 May 2012.

"Steve Jobs." Newsmakers. Detroit: Gale, 2000. Gale Biography In Context. Web. 3 May 2012.

Whoriskey, Peter. "Record Thin on Steve Jobs's Philanthropy." Washington Post. The      Washington Post, 20 Oct. 2011. Web. 15 May 2012. .