Tessa Scott

H E R O E S

A hero is a person whom you (yourself) look up to for your own personal reasons.

I think that it is important to have a hero because it gives you someone to look up to; someone to set your life in the right direction.

In my opinion, in the book "Before I Die" Tessa is the main character and the hero. I believe that she is her own hero because she had a deadly condition and she took it into her own hands to accomplish things before she died. An example is "All I know is that I have two choices - stay wrapped in blankets and get on with dying, or get the list back together and get on with living. This shows that even when Tessa was down, she wasn't going to let that stop her. She was going to stick with that list, and nothing or no one was going to stop her. Also, Tessa believes that being different doesn't matter, "People pretend not to look at me, but I can feel their gaze. It makes me feel alive"(p.70). Tessa turned their gaze into something good. She didn't care who was looking at her. They were judging her by her looks & she didn't care, at all.

T E S S A

I believe that Tessa deserves to be in the hero hall of fame. It's not about me having sympathy for her, but of me looking up to her personally. She was told that her death was coming, and didn't let that stop her from living her life. She showed others with diseases or even others who were different that it is okay to be different. She herself didn't have a full set of hair on her & she didn't care. She showed that you are able to find love when you are sick. It is a possibility. I have learned that you shouldn't change anything based on your difference because in the end it's not their life, it's yours; and Tessa Scott is the one who made me realize this.

Q: Who is your personal hero & why?
A: My personal hero would have to be my dad. He was there with me throughout the process of me having to go to the hospital. He has made a lot of sacrifices for me, and I appreciate him being there for me.
Q: Do you, yourself, feel as if you are a hero? Explain.
A: In some sense I feel as if I am because of my condition, but if it weren't for my condition I wouldn't look at myself as a hero.
Q: What qualities do you think that a hero should have?
A: I honestly think that a hero doesn't necessarily have to have certain qualities.
Q: Do you feel that a hero is important? Why or why not.
A: I feel that it is important to have a hero to show you the correct way to live the life that you would like to live.
Q: Would you change yourself, to become a hero? If so, what would you change?
A: I wouldn't change anything about myself; but if I had to I would change my actions to be a better role model.
Q: How did it first feel to know that death was on its way?
A: I was scared, at first. I wanted to hide in my room, under my covers & just die right then, & there.
Q: Are you satisfied with the life you lived?
A: I am satisfied with the life I lived, because I did everything I wanted to do.
Q: What is your favorite thing to do?
A: I like to try new things. I am basically up for anything new.
Q: Who is your favorite person to spend time with? Why?
A: I love spending time with Adam. He makes me feel as if nothing sets me apart from him. That I am not different, at all.
Q: Do you regret anything you did?
A: I don't regret anything I did, because I obviously did it for a reason; to live my life!