Some people give up. Some people don't. From radio interviews, to newspaper articles, to U.S. Department of Education documents, we learn that people who don't give up may have a quality called grit. Grit is important to a student's success in life, but perhaps grit is something teachers can leave out of the curriculum. After all, when you examine the evidence, it becomes apparent that everyone, to one degree or another, has grit. As we begin a discussion about the importance of grit, it is critical to first define grit. Angela Duckworth, a psychology professor at the University of Pennsylvania, coined the term grit (Smith, 2). “Experts define grit as persistence, determination, and resilience…” (Smith, 1). Basically, grit is that quality people have that allows them to keep going in the face of a challenge. When a person encounters that metaphorical “brick wall,” they climb it or punch a hole in it. A person with grit will not be stopped on his path to victory. Clearly, after knowing what grit actually is, you can see how important it is to success. Many experts have searched for the key to student success. One expert, Dominic Randolph, principal of Riverdale Country School, believes that character is the key to student success (Tough, 2). However, after working for years to develop the character of their students, Randolph and his partner, David Levin, discovered that character alone was not enough. Most students who went through character training and then enrolled in college ended up dropping out after things got tough (Hard, 4). Apparently they lacked that quality called grit. Grit appears to be the key to student success. Angela Duckworth developed Gr...... center of card ...... instead of teaching grit. Students need to know that they can create their own path in life. Everyone can be successful. After all, everyone has grit. From time to time, though, you may need to encourage someone to become more feisty. Works CitedNewsela staff. “The university aims to create a university culture among kids.” The SeattleTimes, February 27, 2014: 1-3.Shechtman, Nicole, et al. Promoting grit, tenacity and perseverance: critical factors for success in the 21st century. U.S. Department of Education, Office of Educational Technology, 2013.Smith, Tovia. "Does teaching kids to get 'gritty' help them get ahead?" NPR.org..3/19/2014: 8. http://www.npr.org/2014/03/17/290089998/does-teaching-kids-to-get-gritty-help-them-get-ahead .Hard, Paul. “What if the secret to success was failure?” The New York Times, September 14,2011: 1-14.