Amelia Earhart, My Hero

Amelia Earhart, My Hero

Amelia Earhart revolutionized the way women were thought of in the workforce, and life in the thirties. She was a fun- loving, adventurous women who was a great role model to people everywhere. She is truly a hero.

Amelia Earhart was born on July 24, 1897, in Atchison, Kansas. She spent much of her early childhood with her grandparents. Her grandfather, Alfred Otis was one of the leading citizens of Atchison. Amelia's mother, Amelia "Amy" Otis, married Edwin Earhart, who was on a constant search for a sustainable career to put the family in a firm financial situation. When a situation got bad, Amy would send Amelia and her sister Grace to live with their grandparents for a while.

Even after the family was reunited when Amelia was 10, Edwin constantly struggled to find and maintain stable employment. This caused the family to move a lot, and Amelia attended several different schools. She showed interest in science and sports at her school. In 1915, Amy separated again from her husband, and moved Amelia and her sister to Chicago. In Chicago, Amelia attended Hyde Park High School, where she excelled in chemistry. Her father's inability to provide for the family led Amelia to become independent.

In 1920, Amelia Earhart took a plane ride at the Long Beach Air Show that changed her life. It was only 10 minutes, but when she landed she knew she was destined to fly. Working many different jobs, she earned enough money to take flying lessons from pioneer female aviatrix Anita "Neta" Snook. Amelia was obsessed with learning to fly. She spent much of her time at the airfield. She cut her hair short, and slept in her new leather jacket to give it a "worn look".

Even when Amelia was a child, she faced obstacles. Dealing with her father being an alcoholic and not being able to hold a steady job affected her as a child. But it also made her a stronger and more independent woman. Later in life she would have to face the obstacle of being a woman flyer in general. The more difficult flights were somewhat obstacles too, for they would prove her to be a great aviatrix. If she failed, the world would give up the hope they had for her to succeed.

Amelia Earhart's life was truly remarkable! A woman flying across the Atlantic must have been quite the adventure in the thirties. She also set a world altitude record of 18,415 feet. Her life was very admirable, especially to women. She gave them hope that one day, women could be just as independent and respected as men. She had some difficult qualities though; Amelia was very stubborn and independent. She was so independent that her husband had to propose to her several times before she said yes, for she didn't want to be held down in marriage. It was also her stubbornness that made her so determined not to give up, which led her to greatness.

Amelia Earhart taught