In the process of looking at others’ blog posts, I observed a theme consistent between each eminent person – the fact that they all needed to overcome insurmountable obstacles on their paths to success. None found easy success and what they learned from these challenges and mistakes made it possible. For example, Kurt Cobain had a difficult childhood and had difficulty with publicity. Dmitri Shostakovich needed to find his voice even under Stalin’s regime, while C. S. Lewis continued writing even after failure, finally completing “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe” after ten years. Barack Obama remained determined even when faced with criticism and opposition from the Republican party; last, Bertha Lamme needed unwavering courage and constant drive to break barriers regarded as impossible.

Moreover, I found that I could frequently connect with these people and with the connections made by my classmates, some more than others. I found that I often shared interests and passions and constantly learned new things about my classmates. I felt exceptionally inspired by some of these notables and found that the values my classmate had highlighted were precisely those I strongly supported. These occasions frequently occurred with quotes, many of which accurately underlined what the eminent person stood for.

In the next phase of this project, these insights will assist me by emphasizing what I should focus on with my research – connections and lessons or pieces of “wisdom” that make the eminent person worth learning.