From Nothing to Something: The Stories of Success Essay Example

You can’t think about America without thinking about the many millionaires and all the stars that live here. People think of this because of the famous American Dream where anyone can have their dreams come true. Some of them may have had an advantage to get rich like wealth from a young age or being born a white male but many were immigrants or very poor minorities. Some of those people I’ll go over are Demar Derozan, Juice Wrld, Oprah Winfrey, and Jim Carrey (even though he is a white male). It may be hard to get rich in America but it’s much easier than in most countries because of all the opportunities. These people go on to prove that with enough hard work and determination anything is possible in America.

Demar Derozan is a famous basketball player who has played for the Raptors, Spurs, and now Bulls. He can be looked at as an example of a poor black kid in Compton working hard enough to become a basketball player. Derozan grew up in Compton, a crime-riddled town with his father and mother who was diagnosed with Lupus when he was young.  Two of his uncles were killed even though they were not in gangs. His dad helped him find his love for basketball at a young age and Demar kept getting better from there. After his time at Compton High School he committed to USC. At USC he was named Pac-10 MVP and won the Pac-10 championship. After that he entered the NBA draft to support his mother and has been an all-star caliber player since. Demar’s story can show wherever you grow up and the circumstances of your life, if you work hard enough you can achieve your dream.

Juice Wrld (Jared Anthony Higgins) is a beloved rapper loved by the world with his most famous song being Lucid Dreams. Higgins grew up in Chicago with his mom and older brother. His dad left them at the age of three leaving his mom to support him. At a young age Juice started drinking lean, using percocets, xanax, and cigarettes. He found his love for music at the age of four years old through his mother where he learned the piano. After this he learned guitar, drums, trumpet for the band. Higgins then started rapping on soundcloud during his sophomore year and hit it big with his song Lucid Dreams in 2017. After this he would make many more albums and popular songs, but sadly he would come to pass December 8th, 2019 from an overdose. Juice Wrld can be looked at as a kid who grew up poor with no dad and a special ear for music. He showed even because of this you can achieve greatness and become one of the worlds most beloved rappers, but sadly, could never escape his drug-riddled past.

Almost everyone knows Oprah Winfrey, the woman with her famous talk show and billionaire philanthropist. But not everyone knows about her poor, sad childhood. Oprah was born on a small farm in Kosciusko, Mississippi on January 29, 1954. Her parents separated soon after was born. Oprah was a very intelligent being put in 3rd grade instead of kindergarten. She was forced to live with her mother in a Milwaukee ghetto, which was poor and dangerous. After this when she was 12 she got to live with her father in Nashville. This was a nice and safe neighbourhood, but was sent back to her mother where she was sexually abused by men. Because of this her mother sent her back to her father. Oprah said, “her father saved her life” because he had strict rules and made her work very hard in school. Oprah became a great student and attended Tennessee State, and then CBS offered her a job. She denied it twice but then finally accepted and has been happy and successful since. Winfrey is a prime example of just needing the right guidance and environment to succeed. You can see this because she lived with her father because her father was strict but also had the right mindset. This goes to show that even if you’re in poverty as long as you have the right environment and peers you can achieve anything.

Jim Carrey, one of the world's greatest comedians/actor can be looked at as an example of someone who took life into their own hands when they were poor. Carrey was born in Newmarket, Ontario Canada on January 17th, 1962. Carrey’s father Percy provided for the family as an accountant, but unfortunately lost his job when Carrey was a boy. Because of this the family lost their house and ended up living in a van. Jim decided the only way his life is going to get better is if he does something about it. Jim dropped out of school when he was 15 and started working as a Janitor to support his family. Jim knew if he kept working as a janitor he’d live in poverty forever so he started doing stand-up routines at clubs in Ontario. He eventually got a break in 1979 becoming the opening for famous stand-up comedians. Then when he moved to Los Angeles in 1983 to pursue his dream he got minor appearances. Then he became known forever when he appeared in the comedy Living in Color in 1991. After this everyone wanted him and he has been a movie star since. Jim Carrey just goes to show that no matter how bad your circumstance is, even if you’re homeless America can make your dreams come true. We see this because when he moved to LA his dream came true, becoming a beloved comedian.

Overall no matter your race, where you came from, or your situation, these people proved that you can overcome that with determination and hard work. They go to show that the American Dream is still true, and not all the people that become famous and rich were born famous and rich. Demar Derozan and Juice Wrld showed that despite where they grew up and the bad influences around them, it’s possible to overcome them by focusing on what’s important and their future, even though Juice couldn’t overcome some influences.  Oprah showed that sometimes people just need a good environment and mentor to become successful, like when she moved in with her dad. And finally Jim Carrey conveyed that even if someone’s homeless, enough hard work and dedication can get you your dream. In conclusion the American dream is still very real and alive today, all you need to do is work for it.