Hero+Essay-Rachel09

 A hero is someone who you idolize and look up to. Everyone needs a role model, someone they want to be like. A hero should be someone that in your eyes, you want to be like or resemble in a way; the things they are good to you. My hero from the 19th century is Maria Mitchell. Maria Mitchell is my hero because; she was the first woman member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. I respect any woman that is the fist to do something because that means that in their time, when they were not well respected, and they were the first to complete an accomplishment, it’s a real honor and I respect that greatly. Though she had a job as a professor at the Vassar Collage, other men had jobs like her but she found out they were getting a higher salary so she fought for the right to be an equal with the men and got the same higher salary as them in the end.

Maria Mitchell was born on August 1st, 1818 in Nantucket Massachusetts. Besides being a professor and discovering Comet 1847 VI; she also protested against slavery. Maria Mitchell is a woman with many accomplishments and that is why she is my hero. She knows that she can do whatever she puts her mind to which is why she has done so many successful things in her career. I think that what she has done in the past is important because, she helped many people by helping free slaves, her involvement with World War II, and took a stand for becoming the first woman member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Maria first got introduced to astronomy by her father, William Mitchell who had his own telescope that he used to teach her about it.

Maria Mitchell first discovered Miss Mitchell's Comet in 1847. This meets my definition of a hero because; she went out of her way, unlike many other women in the 1800's and discovered this comet, unknown to everyone. She showed the men in her time that she was capable of discovering a comet and she wanted to be noticed for it. She also had a strong impact on others and was a role model to young girls everywhere, she proved to just go out and do what you love and make a difference while doing it. Some words from Maria Mitchell are, "We especially need imagination in science. It is not all mathematics, nor all logic, but is somewhat beauty and poetry." Another​r accomplishment Maria Mitchell had was she was the first woman member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. After she was noticed for her love of science and astronomy and she was good at it, they voted her to be the first woman member ever to be part of the organization. This meets my definition because she went out because she wants to be successful in what she does and be good at what she does so she has to continue looking for ways to improve by getting involved in more things. I defiantly think this is a way to get out into the public to show what you can to and make a difference in the world as well as a role model to younger girls showing them they can do whatever you put your mind to. I think that when she did get elected to be the first woman in the American Academy of Arts and Sciences that it changed peoples minds on the way that the think of women that they can do things too. A quote from Maria Mitchell is, " It is sad to see a woman sacrificing the ties of the affections even to do well." I think that this means that women everyday is sacrificing to do well and show people that they can do well.

I think someone that would want Maria Mitchell not to succeed would be, Francesco de Vico. A reason that he wouldn't want her to succeed would be because he found the same comet two days later. I think that he would have rather if she hadn't discovered it so that two days later he could have the title of discovering his own comet. He tried to stop her from being successful and discovering a comet before him by working on the same discovery at the same time. He "discovered" it two days after she already had. Maria Mitchell avoided being over taken by Francesco de Vico by working just as hard and harder than him because she was the first.

When Maria Mitchell died, she was remembered for quite a few things. Some things that she was remembered for was, she was the namesake for a ship in World War II, named the // SS Maria Mitchell. // Also she has a crater on the moon named after her called Mitchell. She was also brought into the Hall of Fame for Great Americans in the Bronx, New York.

A problem today that I think Maria Mitchell would be able to solve would be the homework policy in schools. If I were to ask Maria Mitchell to stand up for students and our rights, she would know how to. All her life, she fought for the rights of women, discovering things, being elected into organizations and so on. I think that she would be able to help us because she was able to fight all her life so she could help us let teachers know that were in school for 6 hours a day so why do we need to do homework when we get home? Maria Mitchell is a real role model and that is why she is my hero.

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