By Julie Omer, MBA, CPA, CFO, MSBO Board President, Chief Financial Officer, Owosso Public Schools
I must admit I’m not a big professional sports fan (I absolutely love college sports, for the record) but you can still count on me to tune in to the Super Bowl to watch the commercials and perhaps participate in a pool or two. Having said that, the playoffs leading up to the 2023 Super Bowl have resulted in some very exciting and unexpected games which I have really enjoyed watching. I can’t help but in be in awe of the athletic ability, mental acuity and courage of some of these players to perform so well in the face of some very significant obstacles both on and off the field. Having said that, I can’t say that I consider any of these individuals one of my heroes. (That is not to suggest that they shouldn’t be someone else’s).
The definition of a hero is “a person who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities”. Within this definition there is a lot of individual interpretation of the meaning of “courage”, “outstanding achievements” and “noble qualities”. It also doesn’t define specific circumstances under which someone can be considered a hero. As an example, as I participated in MSBO’s Financial Strategies Conference last week, I watched individuals present that could be considered heroes. Their knowledge, courage in presenting to their colleagues, achievements in their field of expertise and willingness to take time out of their busy lives to share information qualifies them as heroes in my book.
I believe that we all can could give an example of someone that we have witnessed to be a hero whether it has been in everyday life or on the world stage. The question you have to ask yourself is “why” you consider that person to meet your definition? My call to action for you as we enter the new year is to RECOGNIZE them and let them know they are one of your heroes. It only takes a bit of time out of your schedule and can make a significant difference to them. Also, don’t’ forget MSBO has given you an opportunity to formally recognize someone in your profession by nominating them for an award. Please take advantage of it as the deadline of January 31st is approaching. You may quickly become one of my heroes through this simple action. 😊