Some people give up. Some people don't. From radio interviews to newspaper articles to U.S. Department of Education documents, we learn that people who don't give up can have a quality called courage. Grit is important to a student's success in life, but perhaps grit is something that teachers can leave out of the curriculum. After all, when you look at the evidence, it becomes clear that everyone has courage to one degree or another. When beginning a discussion about the importance of courage, it is crucial to begin by defining courage. Angela Duckworth, a professor of psychology at the University of Pennsylvania, coined the term “courage” (Smith, 2). “Experts define courage as perseverance, determination, and resilience…” (Smith, 1). Basically, courage is that quality that people possess that allows them to move forward in the face of a challenge. When a person encounters this metaphorical “brick wall,” they climb it or punch a hole in it. A courageous person will not be stopped on the path to victory. Obviously, once one knows what courage actually is, one can understand how important courage is to success. Many experts have searched for the key to student success. One expert, Dominic Randolph, principal of Riverdale Country School, believes that character is the key to student success (Tough, 2). Yet after years of working to develop character in their students, Randolph and his partner David Levin found that character alone was not enough. The majority of students who took character education and then enrolled in college ended up dropping out after things got tough (Hard, 4). Apparently they were missing a quality called grain. Courage seems to be the key to student success. Angela Duckworth developed Gr...... middle of paper ...... rather than teaching courage. Students need to know that they can chart their own path in life. They can all succeed. After all, everyone has courage. Every once in a while, though, you may need to encourage someone to become more courageous.Works CitedNewsthe staff. “The university aims to create a university culture among children.” The Seattle Times, February 27, 2014: 1-3. Shechtman, Nicole et al. Promoting courage, tenacity and perseverance: critical factors for success in the 21st century. U.S. Department of Education, Office of Educational Technology, 2013. Smith, Tovia. “Does teaching children to get “serious” help them move forward? NPR.org..3/19/2014: 8. http://www.npr.org/2014/03/17/290089998/does-teaching-kids-to-get-gritty-help-them-get-ahead .Tough, Paul. “What if the secret to success was failure?” The New York Times, September 14,2011: 1-14.