By Erin Cunningham, Student at George Washington University

In Steve Jobs’ Stanford University commencement speech, he read:

“Remembering that I’ll be dead soon is the most important tool I’ve ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything — all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure — these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.”

Jobs’ charismatic attitude and determined intellect make him an idol to people around the world, especially college students. Steve Jobs was less a CEO, and more a genius. He utilized his inspiration and commitment to create a difference in the technological and communicative world.

Today’s college students identify with the Internet generation. Personal and professional lives are preserved online and through computers, and information has never been so readily available or easy to obtain. Jobs maintained high expectations throughout his life, continuing to always push the limits of possibility and creativity to establish the newest technological innovation.

His morality and work ethic is one that inspires people, especially college students, to perform at one’s highest potential. Motivation, fortitude and brilliance belonged to Jobs, and through the bequest he has left, college students look to emulate such qualities.

It seems like everywhere I turn, I see someone typing on their Macbook, playing Angry Birds on their iPad, blasting music at the gym on their iPod, or yapping away on their iPhone. Some people may be doing all of the above, especially here at GW. What’s interesting about Steve Jobs’ life is the technological breakthrough he initiated for the world. What’s even more interesting, however, is the lasting impression he left not only on the world, but college campuses as well. 

[Image from Apple]