A Real Hero

A Real Hero

An everyday superman is one whose actions and life portray one of a hero, but amongst us just like anyone else Edward Leon is a laid back but inspired idealist. He was born and raised in Houston, Texas and a middle child of three. He likes to watch hockey and a fan of firearms. He has a crazy sense of humor and is always trying to keep a smile on your face. Edward is a student of Lone Star College studying criminal justice to someday go into Law Enforcement because of his desire to help others in need.
Why Law Enforcement?”There is many factors of why I chose Law Enforcement but the most prominent reason is that; growing up I faced numerous bullies. Having faced one myself I grew empathetic to those being oppressed by bullies and decided to help anyone in need. This lead to me wanting to help everyone in my community and is why I hope to go into a career that makes a positive impact in people’s lives.”
Since Edward is not into Law Enforcement yet he is involved in many charitable organizations including the Salvation Army, Volunteer Houston, and the Star of Hope. He just recently volunteered for Star of Hope to help run a donation drive for the homeless children in Houston. When I asked Edward why he got involved with these organizations, he said, “I felt that it would be better to spend my time helping others as opposed to being completely self involved”. When asked how Edward manages volunteering in the midst of his other commitments like school for example, he said, “I am very passionate about making a difference in the lives around me; it is who I am and why I want to go into Law Enforcement to make a positive impact in my community”. He also noted that it was difficult to manage all of his responsibilities, but the fact was that his priority above all else is to help people in need. Is it worth it? “Yes. But sometimes, it’s discouraging when you try to help someone but they keep falling into the same problems that you are trying to help them with. It almost feels that I care about them more than they do. But, at the same time, I see the impact I am making in lives around me every day. For instance, a friend from work wanted to drop out of high school since he found it pointless, but I explained to him how important finishing school was for your future. Due to what I said to him he stuck out his last semester because of what I said. You don’t always know at the moment if what you are doing will change anything, but ultimately, you make the effort because there is hope that it will make a difference”.
What I walked away with from this interview is that every day efforts can ultimately make a big difference. As seen in Edward’s efforts and sacrifices, it is the small things that are really rewarding. I feel that every day people could make a difference by turning their inward focus outward to others. Although Edward has not joined the Police Academy he is still contributing to his community by joining these organizations and making a better world for all of us and is a real hero.