Paul Allen

Paul G. Allen at Flying Heritage CollectionMiles Harris (wikimedia commons)Paul Allen: “The Pirate of Silicon Valley”

A young college student sits hunched over at his desk, sweat dripping from his forehead. He curses under his breath, fumbling with mounds and mounds of wires. At the time, this tinkering meant nothing to the world, as it was unaware of how important this college student will  later be to the tech industry and the world in general. His name? Paul Allen. The cofounder of Microsoft and owner of many research organizations and charities has been a pioneer of many different STEM projects throughout his life. Allen, born in Seattle, Washington, was interested in tech at a very young age. Both his parents, Faye and Kenneth Allen, were librarians who exposed young Paul to numerous museums and libraries, filled with wonderful pieces of art and knowledge. After attending  Washington State, while his lifelong friend Bill Gates went to Harvard, they decided to drop out together to pursue their interests in the booming tech industry. While Allen spent his time looking at his own heroes, he was becoming one to others. To be a hero, the person must be selfless and willing to sacrifice himself to help others. A hero always values giving back to benefit the community. A hero must also do something noble that changes himself and others for the better. Paul Allen is a hero due to his innovative nature and willingness to give back to the community, which allowed for major strides in technology and medicine, as well as the preservation of endangered species.

Paul Allen made many technological advancements that would last a lifetime, including the production of a language for the newly-created household computer. This concept was completely foreign at the time; it took awhile for people to understand the scale at which this would affect everyday life. According to the  Gale Database, Paul Allen,“...noticed a piece in Popular Mechanics about the MITS Altair 8800 personal computer, and realized it would be the perfect use for the version of BASIC he and Gates had developed in high school. He ran his brainstorm past Gates and Microsoft was soon born.”Paul Allen, even at the college level, was thinking in ways that never occurred to others. Up until now, computers only had the main purpose of crunching hard-to-calculate numbers and long equations. Using Allen  and Gates’ new language, the personal computer became more accessible, not just to tech junkies like themselves, but to all people, regardless of their knowledge of computers. This accessibility made people believe in the movement toward  the emerging tech industry and allowed people to trust this new direction. People around the globe were becoming more comfortable with the common type of computer of that time. As noted in GALE’S World Of Computer Science,, “Allen showed an early interest in science. When he was 10, his mother hosted meetings for his grade school science club. In 1965, Allen entered seventh grade at Seattle's Lakeside School. Allen met an eighth-grader named Bill Gates. The two shared an intense interest in computers and quickly became friends.” Allen’s family and friends were critical  in the career path and choices that he made. They exposed him to the tech industry at a young age, which influenced him to work in it to make changes in the world. Without his parents’ influence and meeting Bill Gates, he would have never thought of the ideas that he had or made the choices he did. With all of the innovative changes that Paul Allen made  to the technological world, he is considered, and will continue to be, a hero.

Paul Allen not only changed technology, but also influenced many other areas. His numerous organizations have improved  the lives of many people struggling with disease, as well as animals on the brink of extinction. As stated by Business Leader Profiles for Students, ”The two shared an intense interest in computers and quickly became friends. Gates and Allen became so proficient that they helped teach computer courses at Lakeside while still students” ("Paul Allen." Business Leader Profiles for Students). This shows how Allen not only influenced the tech industry for himself, but he also helped other students become  a part of the ever growing industry. Paul Allen genuinely wanted to improve an understanding of tech for both himself and others.  Paul G. Allen Philanthropies stated, “The possible is constantly being redefined, and I care deeply about helping humanity move forward.” Paul Allen was not a self-centered man: he was always looking to better the lives of others rather than his own. His first priority was always the people around him, which made him such a caring person. Paul Allen's selflessness and willingness to give back allowed him to look past his own needs and put others before him. He was able to influence the world in ways we could never imagine due to his innovative nature. Paul Allen's enthusiasm to aid others allowed him to become a leader and major influence in the rise of the technological age.

Paul Allen is considered a hero due to his innovative nature and willingness to give back to the community. His ideas of going against the status quo  allowed for major strides in the technology industry. If he did not take the risk of going against what was accepted at the time, we would not have the level of technology that we do today.  Paul Allen inspires me because he showed how much a person can be when he just has a dream. Allen was able to prove to all people that doubted him that his dream could work and that he knew what he was doing. Without Paul Allen’s ability to ignore his critics, we would never be able to understand the world the way we do today. He thought in ways that nobody ever did, making inquiries that no one had ever considered making. He makes us wonder, if we never try to change our perception and challenge the norm, then who will?