Rick Riordan Quotes

It feels amazing to be a role model for people with and without disabilities.

You cannot uneducate the person who has learned to read. You cannot humiliate the person who feels pride. You cannot oppress the people who are not afraid anymore.

I want to make sure that any young person or anyone, really, who is looking up to me - who sees a glimpse of who I am as a person - that they see no shame, that they see pride, and that I'm truly unabashed about the person that I am.

Kids made fun of me because I was a slow learner, because I was hyperactive, because of a lot of things. Running gave me confidence.

I'll never forget one time a fan came up to me crying, and told me, 'You really inspire me to be me. I feel OK to be myself now.'

Part of my job as Children's Laureate is to visit schools and talk about my love of books and stories and encourage them all to do it as well - to read, to write, to never be afraid of their own voice. Because we all have something to say.

There are people we look up to, like Lady Gaga and what she's built. She's not afraid to own who she is.

Ask any successful person, and most will tell you that they had a person who believed in them... a teacher, a friend, a parent, a guardian, a sister, a grandmother. It only takes one person, and it doesn't really matter who it is.

Connie Heermann is a Freedom Writer teacher. I believe she represents the best of what dedicated teachers can be because she chose to serve her students, not her school board.

I love who I am and I love my life, but if I could be someone else, I'd be Beyonce in two seconds.

I love my body.

Hoping to instill my love of learning in other children, I taught my first class at a local elementary school the year my first book, 'Flying Fingers,' debuted; since then, I have spoken at hundreds of schools, classrooms and conferences around the world.

Every bit of me is devoted to love and art. And I aspire to try to be a teacher to my young fans who feel just like I felt when I was younger. I just felt like a freak. I guess what I'm trying to say is I'm trying to liberate them, I want to free them of their fears and make them feel that they can make their own space in the world.

Love yourself, whatever makes you different, and use it to make you stand out. Mine is my voice and the fact that I'm gay: well, the fact that I'm flamboyantly gay.

I think the Miss Universe title not only gives me the opportunity to become a role model for Latina girls around the world, but to show that beauty isn't just about the outside.

A great teacher who is full of excitement and love for her students can make all the difference in their lives.

I'd like to be the role model to teach other people who have Down's syndrome to be actors and actresses and to be themselves and not try to be a big shot.

I love my beauty. It's not my fault.

I never set out to be a role model for large women, I just do what I feel is right.

Everywhere I go, the kids call me 'the book lady.' The older I get, the more appreciative I seem to be of the 'book lady' title. It makes me feel more like a legitimate person, not just a singer or an entertainer. But it makes me feel like I've done something good with my life and with my success.

I hope that in some way that I can be some sort of beacon of hope, especially because I am not the typical Hollywood beauty.

A love of books has opened so many doors for me. Stories have inspired me and taught me to aspire.

I'm thrilled to continue my partnership with U by Kotex for Generation Know while helping to empower girls. I've always been a motivational resource for my younger sisters and hope I can positively impact and inspire other young girls too.

When I'm in a tricky situation I often think: 'What would Beyonce do?' It helps.

The thing I loved the most - and still love the most about teaching - is that you can connect with an individual or a group, and see that individual or group exceed their limits.