When I was a kid, I was more into the idea of role models, but nowadays, I feel like I'm not completely sure who I want to emulate. My parents and I are at odds about the idea that "it takes a village" to raise a kid. As much as parents play a huge role, there are always outside influences, both in extended family, and out in the world.
"For me, it is far better to grasp the Universe as it really is than to persist in delusion, however satisfying and reassuring." - Carl Sagan