On June 26, 1974, in Pequannock, New Jersey, Derek Sanderson Jeter was born. His parents were Charles Jeter and Dorothy Connors. His parents had a rare relationship for their time. Charles was African American and Dorothy was white. In the 1960s, marrying separate races was frowned upon, but they loved each other and made it work. While Derek was still a small child, Charles moved the family to Kalamazoo, Michigan. This is where most of Derek's childhood took place. Even as a child, Derek loved baseball. He and his father often threw at the baseball field behind his house almost every day. Although his father seems to be a great role model for him, his grandmother Dot and grandfather Bill were the most important people in his childhood. They were his mother's parents. He was going to visit them in New Jersey for weeks. His grandmother would tell him stories about the best Yankee players and plant dreams in his head. At night, he would watch the Yankees play with his grandfather Bill and fall asleep on his lap. As soon as he woke up in the morning (which was usually quite early), he would go to his grandmother and say, “Come on, Grandma!” Let's go launch! ". They followed this routine every morning. During a visit Derek made to his grandparents (he was about six), Dot took him to his first Yankees game. That's when he really started to dream. He wanted to play shortstop for his favorite team, the New York Yankees. When Derek returned from his trip, he told his parents about his dream of being on the Yankees. His parents took him very seriously. His father told him that “if you are dedicated and work hard, all your dreams will come true.” Derek never forgot those words. Derek attended St. Augustine High School until...... middle of paper ...... brilliant numbers for players they expect to be great. Derek got number 2. His debut was the first match of the upcoming season. He impressed the Yankees with his phenomenal performance in his first season. He hit .314 with 10 home runs and 78 RBIs in his first season. Since then, he has led his team to five World Series titles and become team captain. He is known for his good looks and quiet confidence. He still plays shortstop for the Yankees today and continues to improve. More World Series titles are expected in his future. I chose Derek Jeter as my person for many different reasons. One of them is that I feel like I can connect with him. I love baseball as much as he does. I admire him for his humility. Even with all his World Series rings, he never gets cocky. Derek Jeter taught me that no dream is too big if you work hard and are determined.