A question I often find myself wondering about is just how many people does the average person encounter in a lifetime? Given the massive and constantly growing population of our planet, I would not be surprised if the average human were to encounter a few thousand people throughout their life. But perhaps an even more pressing and important question is: how many people have I met who have had a profound impact on my personality, passions, and aspirations? Too often I feel as though I am not doing enough to remember and honour the people who have helped change me for the better. Here is my attempt at commemorating three people who have played a great role in making me who I am today.

1: Hermione Granger

I first read the Harry Potter when I was seven, and while I greatly admired Harry, I always felt like I identified more with Hermione. Growing up, I had always loved reading and learning about the world I lived in. This was reflected in Hermione, who took great joy in the fact that she had read all her textbooks before school, and gleaned an extensive database of knowledge as a result. I came to view Hermione almost as the older sister who I never had, and tried to adapt my own methods of solving problems and attitude towards life to reflect hers.

2: My Grandpa

I am significantly closer to my grandpa than my grandma, simply because we share similar interests. Both of us are bookish and quiet, and while our areas of expertise vary greatly we never fail to find something to talk about. My grandpa did extremely well in school, particularly in science and maths, and thus he has also played a role as my tutor at times. My grandma often criticises my grandpa for thinking and talking slowly, but I have grown to admire and try my best to emulate his method of placing logic and rational thinking foremost in decision making.

3: Mr Raisdana

My seventh grade English teacher offered me lots of valuable guidance in terms of writing and also helped to further my passion for reading. Although an avid reader in primary school, I gradually stopped reading once I started middle school. English classes with Mr Raisdana and his long list of book recommendations helped to rekindle my love of getting lost in a good story and opened my eyes to social issues that I would not have encountered otherwise. My goodreads shelf (although no longer an up-to-date reflection of my reading progress) is packed with books that I read after being referred to them by Mr Raisdana. Without him, my interests and taste in literature would be totally different from how it is today.