I Am a Student

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Host Hello, everyone! Welcome to our TV show, “I Am a Student.” In today’s program we invite famous stars to tell us about their school experiences. Listen to the stories, and then vote for the most impressive story. Today, we have four guests. Our first guest is Steve Jobs.

Steve Jobs (applause) Thank you. Back in elementary school, I was kind of bored, so I entertained myself by getting into trouble. I made a poster with a friend of mine. It said, “Bring Your Pet to School Day.” You know what? The students brought their pets to school. The school went crazy with dogs chasing cats all over. In middle and high school, I was really excited about electronics. I loved making radios and many other things. I had to drop out of college because I couldn’t afford it. However, I didn’t lose my dream. My dream was to invent something that would change the world. Have a dream. Follow your heart.

Host Thank you, Steve. Our next guest is J. K. Rowling. Could you tell us your story, Joanne?

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J. K. Rowling Hello. (applause) Well, in school I was shy, but I loved literature. I read books all the time just like Harry Potter’s friend, Hermione. Harry’s other friend, Ron Weasley, is a little like Sean, who was one of my school friends. Sean liked my writing, and he said, “Joanne, don’t give up! Keep doing it!” I didn’t have much money when I wrote the first Harry Potter book, but I just couldn’t stop writing because I loved it.

Host Thanks to you, we now enjoy the Harry Potter series! Now, here is Ban Ki-moon. The UN Secretary-General. Wow!

Ban Ki-moon (applause) Thank you. I was a quiet boy at school. I had no talent in athletics or music, but I had a thirst for learning. In middle school, I was fascinated with English. I read almost everything written in English. In high school, I won an English contest and visited America as a student representative of Korea. I met President Kennedy. When he asked me about my dream, I told him, “I want to be a diplomat.” I wanted to serve my country, but now I want to serve the world. Work hard, and you can achieve your dream.

Host Thank you. Next is the world-famous singer from New Zealand, Hayley Westenra.

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Hayley Westenra Hello. (applause) Um ... my first performance was at school. I was six years old and I had a singing role in the school Christmas play. After the show, a teacher told my parents that I sang very well. The teacher encouraged me to learn how to play a musical instrument. Then later I took voice lessons, too. When I was in middle school, I sang on the street. A reporter saw me and said, “Wow, your voice is so pure. Will you sing on television?” That’s how I got on television. Now, I sing all over the world. I also represent UNICEF and support girls in Ghana. I provide bicycles for them so that they can attend school. I’m just sharing the love I have received from other people.

Host What wonderful stories! These people were once students and they worked hard to achieve their dreams. They didn’t lose their passion for learning. Likewise, we can all keep learning new things. In that sense, young or old, we are all students. See you next week!