Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple, earned worldwide recognition as a hi-tech innovator. Nevertheless, he once said, "I would trade all of my technology for an afternoon with Socrates." Jobs considered Socrates, a Greek philosopher, to be his role model. Accordingly, Wu Jingjing, Secretary to President at IGRS Engineering Lab Ltd., and Michel Mabois, freelance writer and marketing analyst from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, share their stories of inspirational role models.

Live Peaceful, Live Elegant

by Wu Jingjing

Nine years ago when I first arrived in Beijing to attend college from a small town, I met girls that were so bright and versatile that I felt ignorant and an ugly duckling. I tried to cheer up by reminding myself that I was an outstanding high school student, but to no avail.

My life seemed hopeless until I watched the movie My Fair Lady. I was mesmerized with Audrey Hepburn, the actress who appeared as a woman of elegance, wisdom, nobility and charm.

I was impressed when she said, "For poise, walk with the knowledge that you never walk alone." Glancing at her elegant and graceful personae, she had driven me on the road to acquire knowledge, since I've been a firm believer of the ancient Chinese saying, "Reading makes a person graceful."

I withdrew my eyes from girls around me, knowing that I didn't need to pay attention to them. As Hepburn said, "I have to be alone very often. I'd be quite happy if I spent from Saturday night until Monday morning alone in my apartment. That's how I refuel."

I followed a similar path of refueling to obtain knowledge and now I can talk with people in English on just about any topic, which has given me more opportunities.

The more I know her, the more I feel fortunate that she's my role model. During her childhood, she lived a poor and hard life in a single mother household. She only ate tulip bulbs and drank water, but she never stopped practicing ballet, even when she wore woody slippers. "I decided, very early on, just to accept life unconditionally," Hepburn said.

I learned from her childhood that you can't always change your life's circumstances, so accept it, and try to do something yourself. Her painstaking practices helped her acting career.

Hepburn said, "Opportunities don't often come along. So, when they do, you have to grab them." Hepburn's personal experiences show that we must be ready and capable to capture our opportunities. "I never expected (life) to do anything special for me, yet I seemed to accomplish far more than I had ever hoped for. Most of the time it just happened to me without my ever seeking it," she said. But her accomplishments were never a miracle. It's just that life repaid her for her strong work ethic.

It was not how many movies Hepburn starred in nor the many honors she was awarded that touch me, but her attitude toward life – she accepted everything peacefully with a smile. I believe people grow old only in appearance, not in the soul. Time develops the soul to be more charming. Hepburn, the lady of elegance, will always guide my life toward peace and serenity.

My Grandfather, a True Hero

by Michel Mabois

I grew up in Kinshasa, capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a city that never sleeps. I always felt caught in the middle of two lives.

I experienced one life in a big city, with the latest appliances, shops and all amenities of modern life. My parents, who are university lecturers, provided for my sister and I the life they enjoyed as students in Paris. They wanted to better our lives through education and a higher standard of living. They often asked, "what can I do for my children' and placed our priorities first."

I wondered what sustained them to be unselfish. But I didn't have to look far, since my great-grandfather's dignity answered my question.

Having a great-grandparent is a novelty in Africa, because diseases and living standards make growing old difficult . Hence, I felt like the luckiest child alive.

I called my great-grandfather "Pakan," from an old wise sage tale. He was born and raised in the same village in the eastern Orientale Province.

His birth was never recorded, but we guessed it was around 1900, since Belgian missionaries christened him when they assumed he was 15 years old.

His lifestyle seemed alien to me. His father owned a banana plantation. He had 30 siblings, but few survived their infancies.

His early life was marked by tragedy, as the Force Publique of the Belgian Congo overworked and killed many villagers. He vowed to provide a better future for his children. Married at 16, he worked extra jobs in mines and plantations to send his eight children to a Catholic mission school 20 km away. He worked to ensure they had everything he missed in his childhood.

My grandfather was the eighth child born. He attended a Belgium university on scholarship. Yet, he died after my father was born, so Pakan was the grandparent I doted on.

Even though he never received a formal education, and remained illiterate, he was a wise man that my father and grandfather envied. He could speak over four languages and fluent in French.

I don't think he understood how he shaped me into the person that I am today. He had witnessed Africa modernized, with foreign rulers imposing changes to his culture and religion, and one of the most brutal wars was carried out on his doorstep.

Pakan stands as the greatest influence to my character. When scared of the prospect of moving from Kinshasa to Beijing, I almost gave up my dream. But that was until I heard his cool calm voice in my head saying, "Remember all that we have sacrificed, so go ahead and better your life, my child."