My Good Friend, Teddy by Emily

My Good Friend, Teddy by Emily - October 2017 Scholarship Essay

Angela Duckworth, an accomplished psychologist wrote “At various points, in big ways and small, we get knocked down. If we stay down, grit loses. If we get up, grit prevails.” To me, grit is the most admirable characteristic a person can have, which is why I would choose to dine with Theodore (Teddy) Roosevelt, the grittiest of US presidents. Sure, it would be interesting to meet the man who abolished slavery, but I think it’s more fascinating to meet the figure who, despite losing his wife and mother in the same day, prevailed and projected an immense amount of heart throughout the rest of his life. Teddy is a personal idol, and it would be an honor to sit down with him, even for a simple cheeseburger.
Losing someone close to you is unbearable, but losing two at once is seemingly not survivable. Instead of putting his life on hold, Teddy gathered his sorrow and emotions and used it as motivation to move to North Dakota, where he became a scholar, and served as a sheriff. From there, he became the undersecretary of the Navy and ambitiously urged for America to go to war with Spain. To top it all off, he then resigned as undersecretary and fought in the war himself. I would give anything to understand what was going through his head, what kind of person he was. You can only learn so much about a person from books and articles, and even then, you can’t possibly know their thoughts and true ambitions.
History has never really been my thing. It’s not that I’m bad at it, it just doesn’t interest me. Put me in a psych class and teach me why people think and do things the way they do, and I’m completely different. That being said, my conversation with a president would most likely be quite different than any other’s. I would ask Roosevelt why he was so inclined to make a difference in the nation. I want to know what kind of person it takes to direct the construction of the Panama Canal, lead a charge at the Battle of San Juan in the Spanish-American war, and (obviously) lead a country. I want to know what drove this man, I want to know his secrets. Whether or not he would give them to an eighteen year old high school student is another thing… However, it wouldn’t stop me from stubbornly begging him.
What intrigues me the most about President Roosevelt was his love and passion for nature and conservation. Not only did he add a large amount to the national forests, he also devised irrigation projects. He was so in tune with nature, that he actually took his ambassadors on hikes through Rock Creek Park. To me, there is nothing more respectable than a person who cares about the Earth. This shows me that Teddy can see the bigger picture in life, and recognizes how delicate it really is. This is rare for a president to understand nowadays, there’s so much more to worry about; trees and butterflies just don’t seem as important as nuclear bomb threats. To sit down and talk to Roosevelt himself, and to share opinions about today’s society, would be riveting. I personally believe that this conversation wouldn’t be the same with anyone else.
Roosevelt is by far one of the most driven Presidents of the United States. If I was given the opportunity to have dinner with him I doubt I would eat a single bite! With a man this interesting, I wouldn’t waste a breath on mashed potatoes and gravy.