A Heroes Journey

In unit 3 of the course Stories, we studies how a person becomes a  hero and how they became a hero.  We use Joseph Campbell's hero mono myth as a guide to understand how they became heroes.  For our last project we had to follow the journey of a non-fictional character and a role model that we have in our life's. For my non-fictional hero I chose Xena:Warrior Princess because her episodes and tv show haves a clear example of a heroes journey. For Xena I created a slide show on one of her episodes to show her journey. For my role model I chose my brother Marvin because I have seen him go through a lot but he always tries his more than his best . I interviewed Marvin for the reason to tell me how going to college is important for him and how he got to go Valparaiso, a good college. I felt that he was a good role model to show a heroes journey.  I challenge that I had was to chose a role model in my life because I had no idea who. After this project I learned how to determine a heroes journey in a tv show or movie.

   

Stop at 3:56 and continue onto the second part of the interview, below.




Transcript:

K- Hi Marvin, how are you doing today?
M- Good, how about yourself?
K- Good, ok, ready

1.) The Call
K- What made you want to help others?
M- Well growing up um it was a little difficult at times ah you know you always had your friend, you always made people um you always that um weren't as friendly, that weren't as friendly to your friends to others and i think that was one of the main reasons growing up that made me want to help others. Want to help them not have to go through situations similar to mine or similar to those of my friends or simply people walking around treat other like you want them to treat you.
K- That's nice of you.
M- Thank you.
K- What motivates you to do what your doing?
M- I think a big part in my upcoming was the rule that my parents made in my development um how they raise me you know simple little things like say hi when you first see someone that you know when you walk into somebody's house you know go up to them shake their hand um smile um always keep positive little things like that really help you get through a lot of things um you know make you a better person.

2.) Mentor
K- Who would you say most helped you decide what you wanted to do in life?
M- Since i was little I always um I always liked technology, I always like innovation and um it didn't really come through until I believe it was my 7th grade year my math teacher. I really didn't enjoy math at all actually until my teacher you know sat down with me and he kinda got me to understand what math was and why it was important and it became fun. It truly became something exiting something a class that I look forward to and thats how I decided that math was going to be a key role in what I wanted to do so combining both passions of my innovation in math that how I chose that I would um become an engineer.
K- Who was physically there helping/pushing you forward to accomplish what you wanted?
M- Oh this is an easy question, I say my mom first and my dad second um not because one was better than the other but just because you know my dad always works so hard to give us the best opportunities but um at times that meant that he was away from home and when that happen my mom stepped in and kind of put both of my parents wishes and hopes to one package. You know get me through a lot of my challenges.
K- Nice

3.) The Unknown/Crossing the Threshold
K- What made you go to college?
M- I think in this world its almost impossible um to help yourself, to help others um without having a certain type of degree of skill and knowledge. Twenty years ago, thirty years ago it was you know, you only needed a high school diploma to get certain jobs and you can do find with that um unfortunately um the economic state of the country and of the world require us now to have a little bit stronger knowledge and skill set. Which require at least a collegiate of a bachelors or associates and i think that was the main point that kinda pushed me to say I want to go to college, I want to get this degree you know I want to make in life, I want to be successful and you and you know I want to have a happy life and be able to make other people be happy as well.
K- Interesting

K- How is studying engineering going to help the world?
M- Engineering is very broad theres many opportunities and there is always people who need a change in their life. Engineering is one of the main things that has helped this country and the world through out the past decades um to make progress in the technology that we use today are phones, heating, air conditioning, cars, any transportation really with out it you know the world wouldn't be how it is today how we enjoy it today.

4.) Trials/Tests/Allies/Enemies

K- Along your way, did you know anyone that was going through the same thing as you?
M- Sure, um a lot of my friends, a lot of my class mates, we were all searching for what we wanted to do, what was our purpose thats what most humans search for um I think a lot of us found that engineering was a route that we can take how ever not all of us did um even tho engineering is a very prominent career with high benefits um good market place um its not for everybody um yeah. 

K- Were there any obstacles that you faced in your lifetime? Can you describe them?
M- Sure, um main obstacles I guess same as most other teenagers um responsibility, keeping focused, on what was the goal, gpa,good grades, extra curricula's making sure I am well rounded um making sure I have a good resume template for colleges um something that can make me stand out as a student um make sure thats what I am going to um its also one of the main reasons why I chose to minor in Chinese and one the the main reasons why I am going to sticking around for graduate school to complete my MBA

5.) Abyss/Infinite Despair
K- What were the greatest challenges you’ve faced during your life?
M- Um the greatest challenge that I faced um and that I am still facing is that very little I was diagnose with HDHD um and you know since getting diagnose I have notice difficulties with concentration, I am not jumping off of the walls its just you know with concentration um time management um so for me I have to almost work double on those than other students well I want to say most, every case is unique. Definitely I say that I have to little harder than I seen you know my close friends work at it um things that come naturally sometimes are a little bit harder.
K- How did you overcome these challenges?
M- With support of family , friends, peers and um great teachers um that help me get through and succeed in my high school career.

6.) Rebirth/Reward & Road Back-
K- After your greatest challenge what did you achieve?
M- Well I made it into a rigorous university um which gives undergrad students very great opportunities in engineering um give us great opportunities and great focus on student development. Job placements um and I think thats the main goal I have gotten a lot of good qualities and a lot of good experiences through out my life.
K- How did it change you for the better?
M- Every experience that we go through helps us in one way or another saying that I can also say that there are also experiences that are negative and wont help us but actually bring us down. I think that the experiences that I took the after school activities, the saturday college, music classes um sports, jazz band, marching band, leadership roles, business internships, um and just helping around you know my community and church are things that you know help me gain important skills um through communication, leader ship, um and important networking skills that you need to make good solid connections with people that can help you along the road.

7.) Atonement
K- What was the biggest challenge you faced?
M- I think having so many activities through out the week having you know two hours three hours of each activity every day um seven days a week sometimes only getting half a day of a week for having me time. I think it was just being able to keep at it um to not give up you know having that perseverance to keep on chugging through.
K- How did the challenge affect you?
M- I think it made me a little bit stronger at least that is what I would want to think um help me you know realize you know there are somethings in life that are very valuable and other things that are not so valuable that things that you can sacrifice for now in order to make you main goal. I think that comes along with time management, being responsible with what you do, the activities that you chose to do.

8.) The Return-
K- Will you use what you learned to help others that are going through the same thing?
M- Yeah, um I have a lot of younger friends and of course kids that are around your age um that I have mentored um in business intern ships um that ask how do you do this you know if we have questions like this where would we go, who can we talk to, um what other resources are available for us. Little things like that you know even saying "yeah I know how you feel" you know"I went through this" "its going to be ok"sometimes it is just a little tiny push that helps people you know succeed help people um get through what ever situation they are in, so positive comments. 

K- What skills will you use to help them?
M- To help them, um anything I have really um which might not be much, but um anything that I can offer at the time um just being there for the person um advice, tutoring, anything that I can help at the time or anything I can do for them or point them in a certain direction I think that what I would do.


K- Well thank you very much for being her today and doing this interview
M- No thank you for having me here