The Seeds, Core, and Stem of my Life

In many ways, I was raised like an apple. That might sound strange, but the seeds, core, and stem of my life are what molded me into who I am today. As the child of two Apple employees, I was raised on the core values of Steve Jobs himself.

The seeds of my life are where it all started. The creative ingenuity of all that Apple creates grew something inspirational in me. As a child, I used to look forward to “Bring Your Kid to Work Day” all year, because of how much I admired my parents work, and how cool Apple’s new technology was. Touring the Apple Campus, I was fascinated with the environment Steve Jobs had created. It looked like the future! I suppose it’s true that the apple never falls far from the tree, since I was a child, I knew that my life’s work would be to continue in the creative efforts of Apple to make the world a more innovative place.

The core of my life is unquestionably the most meaningful part of me. It is intriguing how similar it aligns with Apple’s core value: “People with passion can change the world for the better.” I couldn’t agree more. Why should I live my life according to other people, trying to fit into society’s strict standards, when I can bring something new to the human race? Unfamiliar has never scared me, for I only wish to explore it, and then share my discoveries with the world. Change is brought upon us by great people: Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr., Charles Darwin, and Steve Jobs. If they can change the world, why can’t I?

My generation grew up believing we can be whatever we want in life. While some may not accept this, I live by it. We are all given paint and a paintbrush in life, and we can choose to paint a beautiful picture, create whatever we want and paint outside of the lines, or we can paint by numbers and just get by. If I want to work at Apple, I can. If I want to be an aeronautical engineer, or even the President of the United States, I can. But the only way to achieve the career you truly desire is to work hard and never settle. If you love and want something more than anything, work hard until you obtain it. Throughout my life, I have never forgotten this, and it has ultimately led me to success.

Finally, the stem is what connects the ideas and values of the seeds and core of my life. My values, passed down to me from my parents and Steve Jobs, have supported and created the person I am today. I am proud of my beliefs and I am proud of where I come from and the people who have lastingly influenced and inspired me. From a science perspective, the STEM has inspired my love of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math. Most girls don’t gravitate towards the hard sciences, but I see them as the next frontier to be conquered.

Many people have wondered about the origin of Apple’s logo. Though many theories exist, I find them all fascinating. My favorite theory involves the story that Alan Turing, who established the foundations for the modern-day computer, bit into an apple laced with cyanide to bring about his own death. While this story is imaginative, it is purely an urban myth. Perhaps what I love most about the logo is the fact that Steve Jobs would never confirm the true story behind it. He could have dismissed the myths, but instead, he chose to embrace the value of a beautiful story. I too, appreciate the value of the beautiful story that I have written in my life thus far and look forward with great anticipation to the chapters that are yet to be written.

My name is Amanda Maisel and I live in Georgetown, Texas, and I recently graduated from Georgetown High School. I love blogging, photography, math, painting and traveling. I grew up with accountants as parents, and they have inspired me to pursue a business degree at Texas A&M University.

This is a guest contribution from Amanda Maisel. If you would like your blog or article to be featured here, please contact info@smoremagazine.com

#STEM #STEMeducation #Scienceforkids #STEMCareers