Hey everyone!
Many young people believe they need perfect grades to be successful in life. But is that really true? On this blog about the American Dream, I want to show you that success stories also happen in Germany, even if the beginning is not always perfect. I found an article in the German newspaper Hannoversche Allgemeine Zeitung from May 2, 2019. It is about Dirk Roßmann, a famous German businessman. He visited his old school and gave some interesting advice to students.
Dirk Roßmann is the founder of a huge drugstore company with more than 56,000 employees. But his story started very differently. He did not like school and had very bad grades. One of his teachers even told his mother that he was “not smart enough” for middle school. Today, Roßmann runs a company that makes almost 10 billion euros a year. That is a huge success!
When he visited his old school, he told the students that good grades are not the only way to become successful. He said that knowing English is important, especially if you want to travel or do business internationally. He also said that basic math is useful. But the most important thing is: Never give up. Even when things go wrong or become difficult, you have to keep trying. His company almost went bankrupt in the 1990s, but he didn’t stop and later, things got better again.
He also told the students that you don’t only learn in school and that you will keep learning throughout your life. It’s important to care about the world around you and stay curious. Roßmann shared stories from his book “… und dann bin ich auf den Baum geklettert”. He grew up in a poor family after World War II. Money was always a problem. But even as a child, he knew he didn’t want others to control him. He wanted to be free. For that, he needed to earn his own money. That is why he started his own business.
As you can see, Dirk Roßmann is a good example of how someone can succeed even with a difficult start in life. What do you think? Can stories like this happen outside of America, too? Leave a comment below!
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