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Tiffany Almary
Vana DerOhanessian
English 114A
December 3, 2014
Celebrities Influence on Education
In modern America, many celebrities are not praised for their intelligence, but rather for
what scandal they supposedly play a part in. These types of celebrities are referred to as night
celebrities. Night celebrities become famous primarily due to actions that stem from a lack of
intelligence and eventually flourish as a result of the attention they receive from our society. In
our society today, we give attention to most celebrities who dont deserve it. The public is
informed about what is portrayed to them through the media and the media reports on what they
know the people will find entertaining. Few celebrities have gone to university, have dedicated
themselves to a passion, and have made a career by doing what they love. Michael Jordan,
Natalie Portman, and Bill Gates are three of few celebrities who influence students in our culture
today to be passionate about what they love, and show that failure will only bring success in the
future if we do not give up on our goals; they show that time and dedication is very important in
the path to success.
When people think of Michael Jordan, they think of the man who is known as the best
basketball player to ever have played. But what many dont know is that Michael Jordan put
numerous hours of practice to become who is he known to be today. Surprisingly, Jordan faced a
bevy of challenges in order to become successful, including not making the high school
basketball team his first two tries. According to the website Biography, come that year on the
junior varsity team, he became a superstar. With a combination of many hours of practice,

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sleepless nights at the school gymnasium, and dedication to make the varsity and become the
greatest player to have ever played basketball, he made the varsity basketball team, and won a
multitude of awards and scholarships to major universities. Although Jordan was drafted into the
NBA a year before graduating, he returned to the University of North Carolina to complete his
degree, which shows his dedication not only to basketball, but to his education as well. Although
he is an athlete, Michael Jordan is a perfect role model for students by demonstrating dedication
and passion, but also the importance of education. He made himself become the greatest player;
his dedication was the key to his success. Continuing his efforts to support education and
provide quality role models and mentors for children, Michael Jordan, speaking as head of the
Jordan brand, announced the launch of the Jordan Fundamentals, an education grants program
for teachers. Administered by the National Foundation for the Improvement of Education
(NFIE), the Jordan Fundamentals provides grants for teachers in public secondary schools that
serve disadvantaged students(Michael Jordan Launches Education Grant). Until this day, Jordan
proves his love for education and school by donating money to schools in need. Michael Jordan
is one of few athletes to not only reach is dream but earn his degree and receive his education
while doing so.
Not only did the famous athlete Michael Jordan display his love for basketball and
education at once to be a role model to students, but so did the famous actress Natalie Portman.
Natalie Portman starred in the very well known movie Black Swan, among others. She has won
many awards for her acting skills, but also for her intelligence. Natalie Portman is a graduate of
Harvard University with a B.A. in Psychology. Not only did Natalie Portman become a famous
actress with a great career, she attended one of the most prestigious universities in America. She
balanced her passion for acting and performing arts with education. Until this day, Natalie

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Portman uses her intelligence to her advantage in helping our society today. After her movie,
Black Swan, hit the box office, many more have gotten to know Natalie Portman and where she
comes from. They look up to her as a strong and intelligent woman who went after what she
wanted, to become educated, but to also follow her dream in becoming a movie star. At age 13,
she famously declared. "I'd rather be smart than be a movie star." That philosophy led her to
enroll at Harvard and put her acting career on hold during the school year. "[College] taught me
to be bold and confident (Scholastic Parent & Child). She, like Michael Jordan, influences
students by showing them that education will drive to success. Education is necessary for
anything one chooses to do in life, and by becoming educated they will reach their goal. Natalie
Portman, as well as Michael Jordan, is a great example for students to continue to become
educated and finish school while also working towards their dreams and goals.
Jordan and Portman are both a great display of celebrities and athletes that did not give
up their education to reach their goals. Instead, they embedded it into their dreams, which only
helped them succeed and achieve in life. Many people may argue that education is not so
important in becoming wealthy and successful, and a prime candidate for this ideology is Bill
Gates. They point out that Gates is a Harvard university dropout, but has achieved a vast fortune
and success. Though those who believe in this have a point, I think they look at it from an
incorrect perspective. Yes, Bill Gates did drop out of Harvard University with an amazing job
offer. After dropping out, Bill Gates life was set. He had the knowledge to use to his advantage
in making himself the one of the most successful and wealthiest men in the world. Although this
knowledge and education did not come naturally, his the love and dedication did. He spent many
hours on computers, eventually creating Microsoft. This is where many people do not see the
difference. Some people think dropping out of a community college is the same as dropping out

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of Harvard. They think because Bill Gates dropped out and became rich, the same is going to
happen for them. This is where they are wrong. Bill Gates studied extremely hard in high school
and reached his goal to his dream school, Harvard University. Once he got there and an amazing
opportunity was presented to him, he felt it was right to stop his education and start what is know
known as Microsoft. Gates, Portman and Jordan are three great role models to students in our
culture today, who display education, dedication, love, passion, and time to become who they are
today.
Students in our society today think of one goal in life, to become rich. Many dont care
how intelligent or educated they become, as long as they become wealthy and have nice cars and
nice houses. They look up to celebrities including Kim Kardashian, who became famous because
of a sex tape and makes millions of dollars ever year because of the importance that society has
put on them. Not only did Kim Kardashian become famous off of the sex tape, but her entire
family did, as well. She has become the prime example of a negative influence, because girls
believe that by selling their bodies the way she has, they, too, can achieve fame and fortune.
Kardashian does not have a college education, and does not promote or advocate for many
human rights issues. Her main source of income is focused on her appearance, and for
advertising products to her millions of followers, who look up to her and listen to anything she
has to say. With these types of priorities, many young girls are steered in the wrong direction
with false hopes of achieving success without having an education, or creating their own
opinions and views of issues around the world.
The goal in life is not to be an overnight celebrity like Kim Kardashian, but to become
educated and be someone that others look up to in a positive way, to have a positive effect on
others lives, especially those of younger age who are trying to find the right path in life. In

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becoming rich, one has to have the knowledge in what they love to succeed. Examples such as
Michael Jordan, Natalie Portman and Bill Gates present to students that education was the key to
their success. In whatever someone chooses to do, education will only have a positive effect in
reaching those dreams and goals. Education instills discipline in people, and celebrities today
that lack that discipline, have, on occasion, taken the wrong path to success, attributing their
popularity to being in the negative light.

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Works Cited
Bio.com. A&E Networks Television, n.d. Web. 25 Nov. 2014
<http://www.biography.com/people/bill-gates-9307520#early-career>.
Bio.com. A&E Networks Television, n.d. Web. 24 Nov. 2014.
<http://www.biography.com/people/natalie-portman-9542326>.
Bio.com. A&E Networks Television, n.d. Web. 24 Nov. 2014.
<http://www.biography.com/people/michael-jordan-9358066>.
Brody, Samantha. "Natalie Portman." Scholastic Parent & Child, 15.4 (2007): 72.
"Michael Jordan Launches Education Grant." New York Amsterdam News, 90.12 (1999): 18.