The President I'd Like to Meet by Jackson

The President I'd Like to Meet by Jackson - October 2017 Scholarship Essay

If I could have dinner with any U.S. President, I would choose Franklin Delano Roosevelt. FDR was a tremendous leader who successfully fought through many adversities throughout his twelve years as President of the United States. Through this, he expressed an ability to be resilient as well as proved his ability to be a leader. His accomplishments vaulted FDR into the conversation of one of the best presidents ever.
One of the multiple adversities FDR faced throughout his life was his contraction of polio at the age of 39. On a vacation at his family’s vacation home in Canada, FDR contracted polio by swimming in a lake. Within three days, he had lost all the strength in his legs as well as a lot of his back and upper body strength. Instead of giving up on his body or his career, FDR took his doctor’s advice and transformed his lifestyle into an extremely active one. He would swim 3 days a week and perform rehabilitating exercises in the pool-where his legs could support his body weight. He set personal goals such as walking the length of his driveway. He invited friends and family members to his workouts to talk with him, even though he was spending most of his energy standing and walking. Through all of this, he regained the majority of the strength in his upper body and was able to stand up with no assistance for a short period of time. FDR did not let his disability stop him from achieving great things. Even as political opponents made nasty comments about his disability, FDR was unfazed and continued to prove himself in his campaigns and in his policies.
Another major adversity FDR faced was the Great Depression. For almost 10 years the United States had been in a severe economic depression. Millions of people had lost thousands of dollars in bank failures, failed investments, etc. which led to thousands of layoffs. This led to the biggest economic depression the United States has ever experienced. FDR inherited this problem when he was elected president. He developed a plan named “The New Deal” which created thousands of job opportunities. The New Deal created many programs such as the Tennessee Valley Authority which allowed for jobless citizens to work together to build federal buildings and infrastructure. It also reallocated federal finances to create programs through laws such as the Social Security Act which still exists today. FDR hit the greatest economic depression in history straight on, developing a plan to fix the major problems and in doing so secured multiple terms as president and proved his ability to adapt to social and economic situations.
One of the final major adversities that FDR faced was World War 2. When FDR was elected to office, World War 2 had not even begun. This allowed him to focus on the economic depression. Midway through his second term, Germany invaded Poland which marked the beginning of WW2. FDR decided instead of being an aggressor and involving the U.S. in an unpopular war to remain neutral. However, Japan in 1941 bombed Pearl Harbor. It was at this point that FDR called for the U.S. to declare war on Japan and Congress obliged three days later. As Commander in Chief, FDR and his commanders drew up strategies to take back Europe from Germany and Italy as well as in the Pacific Ocean against Japan. FDR showcased his ability to strategize as well as his ability to do what the people wanted before and during WW2.
If I could meet any president in U.S. history I would choose Franklin Delano Roosevelt due to the many adversities he faced and his ability to overcome them. It was through this that he was elected as President four times and possibly would’ve been elected for more if he hadn’t passed away while in office. He was also one of the most popular presidents in U.S. history. The opportunity to talk to someone who showcased the ability to adapt and overcome major adversities in their life and still remain popular would indubitably be the opportunity of a lifetime. For those reasons FDR would be the person I would want to meet.