Someone who has a great influence over me
The person I admire most is someone l have never met and will never meet. She is Marie Curie, one of the most eminent scientists the world has ever known. So great is her influence on me that I often think in terms of atoms and molecules.
I suppose I admire her most because I want to be a scientist and she is, I believe, the idol of aspiring scientists. Never will mankind forget her stupendous discoveries as thousands, if not millions, of lives have been saved by her persistent search for truth.
She was born in Poland in the year 1867 and at a very young age, her exceptional abilities were recognized by everyone. At the age of sixteen, she finished her education, winning the Gold Medal for being the most brilliant student. From then onwards, she worked very hard as a governess so that she could provide for her sister. Bronya, and help her acquire a sound knowledge of medicine. This is only one of the man instances which proves to us her kind-hearted nature.
Another admirable quality of hers was her love for Poland. She was very much against Poland being ruled by Russia but realized that she could not do anything to alter this situation. The first element she discovered, Polonium was named after her native country. She was beautiful and, for a lady, had plenty of courage and determination to put forward her theory of the phenomenon now known as radioactivity. The scientists in those days refused even to consider what she believed saying that she was only a lady. She, however, was able to prove what she believed, mainly with her husband’s help, and was subsequently awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry.
Her husband, Pierre, was a Frenchman whom she married at the age of twenty eight. He too was a scientist and gave her all the encouragement that was needed for her success. She loved him dearly and his death was a shocking experience to her. She was in a state of shock for many weeks and never really recovered from it. She, however, realized that she had to continue her work for all the others who would benefit from it and was more than successful in doing so. She was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics and is the first person to have received this prize twice.
She was practical and realistic in her outlook. This is clearly illustrated by the manner in which her two daughters were brought up. She made them aware of the hardships of life and they grew up as independent youngsters. She also made it clear to them that life was not a road strewn with roses.
Radium, another of the elements she discovered, is being used to cure cancerous growths and has saved millions of lives. It is of interest to note that she took all this as an obligation and was never proud of her achievements. She remained humble throughout her life.
Never will the world forget this brave and courageous woman. She is the person I admire most and I trust many others admire her too.
