It is so important to have some sort of role model and/or mentor in your life at some point. Someone who will be the light when you are surrounded by darkness, someone who puts a smile on your face when you have tears streaming down your face, and someone who gives you the confidence to go out into the world when all you want to do is hide away. Whether this person is a family member, a friend, or even someone you might not know personally, they are the person who will get you through your darkest days. There is always one person that I turn to when nothing seems to be going right and my path in life becomes unclear. For anyone that knows me will know exactly who I am talking about. His name is Kendall Schmidt who is from two different bands: Big Time Rush and Heffron Drive. I first discovered Kendall in the first band previously stated, the band first started as a television show on Nickelodeon. For people who don't know me may be thinking "why the hell would you like someone from a Nickelodeon show?", and that is a very valid question. As any teenager, I fell in love with someone from a boy band that made my teen angsty heart swoon. But over time I learned more about Kendall and his passion and love for music and art in general. I discovered just before Big Time Rush took off, he and his best friend formed a band that was trying to make a name for themselves- Heffron Drive. The band ended up having to take a break for obvious reasons, but Kendall's best friend Dustin was able to be a part of Big Time Rush. Big Time Rush ended their time as a band, and from that moment on Heffron Drive was able to focus on themselves and start making the music they always wanted. I continued watching Kendall grow as an artist and as a person from the beginning of Big Time Rush (2009) up until now (2017) with Heffron Drive.

I went from a girl who was infatuated with a cute boy from a boy band do admiring and loving everything Kendall stands for. Every piece of advice his gives himself and his fans, and his passion for music is something that every should admire and aspire to find something like his love for music in their lives. I've had the opportunity to see Heffron Drive and concert and since they are not a well-known band, the venues have been very small, so my view has always been great. Every phrase Kendall sings from his mouth has so much energy and passion behind it. This may sound like an unpopular opinion, but there are not a lot of artists out there that don't think about the music they are writing and/or producing. Maybe it is a bias opinion and I don't appreciate popular music as much as I should, but I look at certain artists and there is no sense of passion or connection towards their fans. If you are an artist and putting your artwork out into the world and millions of people appreciate it, I feel as though there needs to be respect and passion behind the work you are putting out there for people to listen to and support.

I think it is so important for anyone out there to find someone who they can look up to and guide them through difficult parts of life. For me, Kendall has always been the one who I have looked to. While it may not make sense to most people that I look for guidance in a celebrity, but I have learned that Kendall is not like everyone else that in that industry. He is one of those celebrities that is so humble, hardworking, and appreciate every single person that supports him and his career. It is easy to get lost in your own head when you are such a well-known and successful celebrity. You can get lost in the fame, the money and the opportunities that are set right in front of you. Kendall takes every opportunity and works his a** off to show how much he appreciates people supporting him.

When Big Time Rush first came out, I was just in middle school and was navigating my way through school, friendships and myself. Trying to figure out all of those things at once wasn't the easiest thing to do, especially by myself. Kendall was the constant in my life that never seemed to go away and would remind me that I would be able to make it through the next day, week, month or year. As I followed his journey, I saw him mature and I also saw myself mature, of course in many different ways. For him, his music was finally what he wanted it to be. For me, it was realizing that not every single person is going to like me, no matter how hard I try. He was the light in the world of darkness that I couldn't escape for a long time. Music has always been important to me, but Big Time Rush, Heffron Drive, and especially Kendall make me look at a perspective in a whole new positive light. I have learned to use it as defense mechanism when things get too difficult to handle.

For every person out there struggling, find something or someone who will guide you out of the darkness. Once you find something or someone who will be a constant in your life, you will be able to leave all of that darkness and look at life in a positive way. It will make life so much easier if you have something or someone who will guide you through the difficult parts of life.