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Scott Hamilton
Olympic Hall of Fame
The World Championships is a place for you to really compete and try to beat other skaters from other countries. At the Olympic Games you are representing the United States. It's a different whole. It's the same skaters, same judges, same size of ice, same music, same everything, same format, same, same, but the one thing that is different is: It's the Olympic Games, and you're sharing your successes and failures with everyone that's a U.S. citizen. And it's theirs, it belongs to them. So when I sit up on the podium and I get my medal and I get to hear my anthem and to see my flag raised, I'm the point person for millions and millions of people, that can for that moment in time just feel pride that one of their own did okay. And you feel like you have like 100 million parents and 100 million brothers and sisters and you share it.
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Scott Hamilton
Olympic Hall of Fame
What I didn't know is how many people you touch when you achieve a certain level of success in anything. You touch thousands and millions of people and you affect them. And you don't maybe know them, but they know you. And what I had no idea was that all those hours I was spending tracing compulsory figures and pushing myself through a long program in altitude, all that work would touch so many people and that my life would never be that again. When you walk down the street and people know who you are. That you've touched people and inspired them, maybe somebody that may be struggling with something. You connect with them somehow. It makes their life a little bit better. I had no idea that any of this was possible. Or that, anything I would ever do would affect anybody. And that's the one thing I've learned through the whole process of winning competitions, and going to the Olympics, and being a pro and really trying to direct the sport in new ways and creating new opportunities, is that when you touch a lot of people, it's like that George Bailey thing from It's A Wonderful Life. You touch people, and you change things and you affect them.
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Scott Hamilton
Olympic Hall of Fame
I think the American Dream is that you can do whatever you want with your life. You can pave your own path, you can do whatever you want, and you're free to do that. If you want to be a brain surgeon, you can be a brain surgeon. If you want to live on a beach, you can live on a beach. If you want to, you can do whatever you want and every life is unique. Everybody that lives in this country has their own story, has their own talent, their own ability, their own desires and interests and tastes, and they have the opportunity to explore those without any restriction.
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John Hennessy
President of Stanford University
John Hennessy: I think the American Dream is about opportunity. It is really about giving every individual in this country, every citizen, the opportunity to accomplish something, to use their skills and their abilities, their perseverance, their hard work, to make the world better, to make a difference, to contribute something. It is really that contribution, that contribution is its own reward, and I think if you can make a difference, and you can look back on what you have achieved, what you have contributed and take pride in it, then I think you've realized the American Dream.
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Lauryn Hill
Singer, Songwriter & Record Producer
Lauryn Hill: I don't have an American Dream. I have a dream, because my dream relates to the entire world, to be honest with you. That is that the entire world find -- have -- salvation. That the entire world have joy. That the entire world know God, and have peace, and have His rest and His happiness. For me to limit that and say that's an American Dream, that would be far too limiting. That's a dream for this entire world, that we really all have the presence of God in our lives, because I can't give anyone anything more. God showed me I can sing songs about love. I can sing songs about me, and there are people that enjoy those songs. But when they're desperately, desperately in need of help, what will my music do? How will it help them? Will it redeem them? Will it save them? Will it fight that battle for them? It's just a song.
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