Editor’s Note: For nearly ten years, columnist Ed Channell has challenged his PN editor to reject his monthly columns. For July, we did. In its place is a story by his granddaughter, Haley Channell, a 2013 graduate of Benet Academy. Haley will be following in her father’s footsteps this fall to attend Miami of Ohio.
My grandfather, Ed Channell, or “Poppie” as I am accustomed to calling him, went from rags to riches, literally.
My grandpa was born into a family with basically nothing. After struggling for 18 years and realizing he wanted a better quality of life, he acted on it. During the next 20 years, Poppie worked harder than anyone I’ve ever known. The road to success wasn’t always a pleasant road, but in the end, he made it there with determination.
Sound Incorporated, a successful technology company, is the business my grandfather created. He set his mind to a goal and achieved it.
My grandfather’s business philosophy is simply this: you can make yourself into whatever you want to make yourself. To me, this philosophy was immediately an inspiration. I have learned from Poppie that with enough perseverance and concentration, I can be whoever I want to be.
Poppie has shown me that to get where I want to go, sacrifices need to be made, but it’ll be worth it in the end. He inspired me to put my education and community service at the top of my priority list. Overall, I have become a more goal-driven and service-oriented person because of him.
Throughout my first 17 years of life, I have transformed into a very hard-working person. I have spread out my time between school, service, family and friends. Setting my goals high and focusing on what I want to achieve, I would say I’ve had a successful high school career.
My grandpa’s story inspired me and influenced the person I am today.
