Dinner with Washington by Jacob

Dinner with Washington by Jacob - October 2017 Scholarship Essay

George Washington continues to this day as one of the most influential leaders in the history of the United States. After all, he was an important general in the Revolutionary Warand the first president of the country. Washington's legacy in America today serves as an example of honor and leadership, but how interesting would it be to hear the reasoning behind his actions that made him famous for these reasons? There are many remarkable stories about his bravery and life in general; however, Washington lived over 200 years ago and it is possible that many more of these stories have been lost to the ages. If I had to have dinner with any president in the history of the country, I would choose George Washington for the purpose of hearing firsthand about why he did what he did and learning about how he overcame obstacles in his life.

One of the reasons for George Washington's legacy as a leader was the bravery he displayed during the war and the following years. A famous painting depicts Washington leading his troops across the Delaware River during the cold winter and how incredible would it be to hear from him about that event and how he had to be brave while leading his men to a surprise attack on the enemy? Paintings and biographies alone do not do justice to what he did and only speaking to him in person would allow me to fully appreciate this monumental turn in the war. I would learn information previously not recorded and could have new insights that I would not be able to get from the internet or even in a history class. There are several other things about Washington's life that I would ask him about in a similar manner for the sole purpose of learning more. Acting as the first president of the United States would not be a simple task I would imagine, but Washington served under that role and it would be intriguing to hear all the reasons why he did that and the specific things he did as president.

Another reason I would choose Washington as the president to have dinner with would be to ask him about the obstacles he faced and how he overcame them. A common explanation is Washington's loyalty to fighting for what he believed and what was best for the people. I'm sure that there is more to this and I am interested in hearing all the other factors that Washington considered which moved him to overcome his trials. It would be incredible to listen to his stories about fighting off worry, doubt, and fear in his life to move up into his leadership role in the country. Washington is considered as an example for what a leader should be and speaking with him would teach me how great leaders think.

Although each president is unique in his own way, I would have to chose George Washington to eat diner with because of how important he was to the country. Hearing directly from him about everything from the most monumental things he did to the untold stories would be an eyeopening experience.