You know I’m big on role models. I’ve got a thing for them.
They come in all shapes and sizes and should be celebrated at every turn! I love to see solid examples of how to be an amazing human being.
Admittedly, when it comes to role models this blog is chick-heavy. Not that I have anything against men (I happen to be happily married to a steller one!) I simply think it’s important for women to start celebrating other women as well as themselves.
But today’s role model happens to be a very forward-thinking man. Highly intelligent, creative and altruistic. What a combo! What’s more, he fell into this particular career by helping tutor a young family member. Which is another reason to open yourself up, expand yourself & reach out. You have no idea where it might take you.
Excerpeted from O Magazine’s October issue:
Meet Salman “Sal” Khan. A former hedge fund analyst who posts short video lessons to his free website www.khanacademy.org where they help kids in dozens of countries understand everything from Hubble’s Law to the French Revolution.
Khan started tutoring a young cousin remotely in 2004 after learning that she was struggling in math. Soon other relatives were asking him for help. When he posted a series of lessons on YouTube, they went viral, & donors like Bill Gates (who has said his kids watch the videos) offered to help him expand his efforts. In 2009 Khan quit his finance job to focus on Khan Academy; his videos have now been viewed more than 64 million times.
Khan’s mission is twofold. He wants to provide the extra help or challenges kids may not be getting at public schools like the ones he attended near New Orleans. But he also wants to reach kids who don’t have access to even lackluster schools. With $2 million from Google, Khan’s team is translating his videos into languages like Mandarin, Hindi and Spanish. “The person who eventually cures cancer might be some kid in the slums of Calcutta,” he says.
Brilliant!