October 18, 2017

BALTIMORE NOW
Volume 1 | Delaney Lah

Compare and Contrast

The Other Wes Moore and The Road Not Taken
The Other Wes Moore by Wes Moore is a very influential book about two mens lives who take
dramatically different paths. One turned out to be a successful man, who was a Rhodes Scholar, author, and
former military officer. The other was a drug dealer on the streets, and is now held to a life sentence in prison
for committing a very crime. Due to their home environment, both of these men were set on a specific path of
how their life would turn out. Both Wes’ had to make difficult decisions. One chose the difficult path of
military school, the other chose what he thought would be the path to “easy” money. “The Road Not Taken,”
by Robert Frost, is a poem about choosing the right path for him. He says that taking the path that has not
already been taken will be difficult, but worth it in the end. He also has to choose what his destiny will be and
how he wants to live his life.
The Other Wes Moore is a book based on two peoples stories and what choices they made that lead up
to their final places in life. Both Wes’ were influenced by the people around them and their neighborhood
environment. Resources are also a topic that is stressed in this book. The people and programs around you that
are able to help you mentally, academically, and personally all have an impact on your destiny. Author Wes
had grandparents and extended family that helped him face these challenges and lead him to a successful life.
Other Wes had no good role models, only his older brother Tony who was a drug dealer. Author Wes and
Other Wes had to make difficult decisions to get them to where they wanted to be in their lives.
“The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost is a poem about a man trying to figure out what path he wants
to take in life. He can choose between a path that has been taken by many or he can make his own path. He
decides to make his own path and makes the right decision. At the end of the poem he thinks about what may
have been different if he would have taken the path that everyone else has taken. Once he choose this path he
never turned back. Choosing the right path isn't always easy, and will require hard work and determination to
make it worth it.
The Other Wes Moore, and “The Road Not Taken,” have many similar themes and messages
throughout the stories, there are also numerous differences. Both of these stories revolve around choosing the
right path and defining your destiny. They both also talk about how the right road is not always the easiest way
to go. Choosing the right path for you to take will require hard work and determination to persevere though the
tough times. The main difference is that in “The Road Not Taken” he chooses the right path from the very
beginning, and in The Other Wes Moore they both try to change the path they are on multiple times. Both of
these stories have similar message’s, which is to choose the path that is not always the easiest, but the path you
think is best for you.
In conclusion, The Other Wes Moore, and “The Road Not Taken,” have the same message, but also
have many differences. They both teach us that the right path for you to take in order to be your best self isn't
the easiest path. There will be setbacks, and hard times that require patience and determination. Both stories
also teach us that we are the only ones who are able to choose how we live our lives. Both stories show us how
to be confident in our decisions and make the best of our lives.

1

Works Cited
“Biography.” IMDb, IMDb.com,
www.imdb.com/name/nm0001
4321/bio
Finnegan, Leah. “11 Famous
Rhodes Scholars.” The
Huffington Post,
TheHuffingtonPost.com
, 18 July 2011,
www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/
07/18/11-famous-rhodes-
scholars_n_901652.html.
“Girls Hope.” Girls Hope,
www.girlshope.org/.
“Home.” The Rhodes Project,
rhodesproject.com/.
O'Shaughnessy, Lynn. “10
Most Prestigious Scholarships
In America.” CBS News, CBS
Interactive, 26 Jan. 2011,
www.cbsnews.com/news/10-
most-prestigious-scholarships-
in-america/.
“Oxford and the Rhodes
Scholarships.” The Rhodes
Scholarships,
www.rhodesscholar.org/.
“Rachel Maddow.” Rachel
Maddow,
www.rachelmaddow.com/.
“13 Famous Rhodes
Scholars.” 13 Famous Rhodes
Scholars, HowStuffWorks, 12
Sept. 2007,
people.howstuffworks.com/13-
famous-rhodes-scholars.htm.
October 18, 2017
Rhodes Scholarship
The Rhodes Scholarship is one of the most prestigious and oldest
fellowship awards in the United States. This program was founded in 1904
by Cecil J. Rhodes.(rhodesscholar). Due to his poor health, Cecil was sent
to the nearby grammar school as a child. His other eight brothers attended
better schools and colleges.(encyclopedia). Rhodes has now left people to
choose the nominees for the scholarship based on their academics,
character, commitment to others, common good, and for potential
leadership. If you are one of the 32 students chosen from the United States
for the Rhodes Scholarship you attend school at the University of Oxford in
the United Kingdom.(rhodesscholar). Notable recipients of the Rhodes
Scholarship include Bill Clinton, Kris Kristofferson,(people.howstuffworks)
and Rachel Maddow.(huffingtonpost) Bill Clinton is a former U.S president
and also wrote an autobiography.(usatoday). Kris Kristofferson was a
former U.S army veteran and currently is in the acting and music
industry.(imbd). Rachel Maddow is a television show host and has her own
show “The Rachel Maddow Show.”(rachelmaddow). Some other notable
scholarship programs include the Marshall Scholarship, Winston Churchill
Scholarship, and National Merit Scholarship.(cbsnews). The Rhodes
Scholarship is a very prestigious fellowship award that will continue to be a
major scholarship in our world.
Girls Hope
Girls Hope is an organization that helps academically capable girls
meet their full potential by providing value-centered, family like homes,
opportunities, and education through college. Girls Hope was founded in
1977, and in years later was founded in Pittsburgh in the 1980’s. Father
Paul Sheridan, the founder of Boys Hope, came to Baden to help the Sisters
of St. Joseph with retreat functions. While he was there the sisters
encouraged for him to help start a new organization called Girls Hope, so
everyone could have a fair chance at academic success. Sister Donna Marie
Tahaney, my late great aunt, was in charge of working with Fr. Paul to
establish the program. Sr. Donna became the Executive Director of Girls
Hope of Pittsburgh in 1990. Girls Hope is an organization that has changed
many girls lives, and many of the girls continue on to become college
graduates. I can make donations to Girls Hope, as well as help at any
fundraising events that they may have coming up. Girls Hope still holds
true to their mission to have a supportive home environment and quality
education through college for academically talented girls who have been
affected by their home life. Girls Hope welcomes all young women of all
racial and ethnic backgrounds.