Mini-Project: Hand Coding Data

Interview Questions

1. What admirable figure from history, or the present, motivates you toward positive personal and/or social change?

The person I admire most is Michele Obama. Her life, like that of her husband, the President of the United States of America, is very motivating to me.

2. What characteristics about this individual stand out?

She is motivational. I thrive on motivation, at least most times. Her personal story also evokes inspiration and motivation in women. A leader who is inspirational and motivational is a powerful leader. I have learnt from her how you can harness these qualities for the betterment of your cause, business, or life that makes the lasting difference.

She has self-respect and respect for others. In everything Michelle Obama has done, she has always held a high level of self-respect and respect for others, and that’s something all leaders should uphold.

I like how she knocks down stereotypes. In her recent speech, Michelle Obama talked about her personal life, her first date with her husband, and her hopes for her daughters. Her personal story has resonated with women across the country and empowered African American women to knock down stereotypes. Much of this happened because she has been a continuously relatable figure.

She is honest and dedicated. Great leaders are honest about their policies and expectations and their areas of expertise and downfalls. In particular, an important leadership skill is knowing when to admit you’re wrong or that you don’t know. In fact, the best leaders not only don’t know everything, but they don’t claim to. However, holding honesty and dedication to their work is what is most effective.

Michelle Obama has been honest and dedicated in many areas during her husband’s presidency. In particular, her dedication to solving childhood obesity and supporting military families has been part of what makes her a great leader.

3. How do the actions of the person impact you?

As a counsellor, I have found her actions very inspiring. Michelle highlighted that school counsellors are key to her "Reach Higher" program. This initiative encourages children to continue education after high school graduation, whether at a professional training program, a community college or a four-year College or university.

The First Lady also shared a new White House program that will honour a counsellor of the year. She and President Obama want to give school counsellors the recognition that they deserve for all the work they do and the effort they put into making sure students and teachers have the resources they need to pursue education beyond high school. I really like that the First Lady are working so hard to reach students beyond their academic boundaries. I also think that the role of school counsellors is often overlooked because the focus is placed primarily on teachers.

4. In what ways you are similar to this person and what ways are you are different?

We are both black but it would be a huge stretch to say that simply because we are black, we’ve both had similar experiences. The fact that we come from different countries further reduces what we could call ‘similar’ experiences as far as ‘black experiences’ are concerned. That said, there is a lot of similarity between what she had to go through as an African American woman. The struggle, the determination, and the hope in the face of seemingly insurmountable obstacles, are things we share. I’m tempted to say, some of these issues are actually felt by billions across the world, and are not solely restricted to race issues.

5. How did this person’s actions impact the culture in which he or she lived?

I can say that Michele Obama has had tremendous impact on American culture, especially African American culture. Whether its race, education, health, or equality, I think in modern day America, the impact of Michele Obama, as the First Lady, touches on almost every single issue in the public debate.

6. Is there a personal impact on your motivation, perspective(s) or goals due to this person’s achievements?

The motivation has impacted my life on a very personal level. There are decisions I make as a parent that are very influenced by the decisions she also makes as a wife to a husband having a highly stressful job. My career choices, particularly how I navigate the corporate world has also been influenced by her attitude, intelligence, and eye for excellence.