For eight years, American Alex Honnold dreamed about climbing El Capitan in Yosemite National Park without any safety equipment. But whenever Honnold went to the park and looked up at El Capitan, he became frightened.

That changed last Saturday. Honnold, a world-class rock climber, reached the top of the great rock wall in about four hours. He used only his hands and feet. He is the first person ever to climb the 914-meter high granite wall alone and without ropes or safety equipment to catch him if he fell.

Honnold began preparing for his historic climb two years ago. He climbed El Capitan while wearing safety equipment countless times. He tried to memorize every hole he had to hold and the positions of his body. He repeated the climb again and again, until he felt sure enough to try the so-called “free solo” climb.

The most difficult part of the trip is about 700 meters off the ground. At that point, the very small holds in the rock are only big enough for a thumb to fit. But Honnold said the climb was more mentally difficult than physically difficult. “Each year I would show up and it would seem just much too daunting,” he said.

Observers say Honnold’s climb has pushed the limits in a sport that requires a high level of physical ability, risk-taking and mental strength.

The climb up El Capitan once took climbers several days to complete with the aid of ropes, safety equipment and a partner. But in the past 20 years, speed climbers working with a partner and using ropes have set records in reaching the top.

In January 2015, Tommy Caldwell and Kevin Jorgeson became the first to “free climb” the Dawn Wall, a very steep climb to the top of El Capitan, They used ropes only to catch them if they fell. They reached the top in 19 days.

Honnold has an extreme ability to control fear and his body for a long period of time.

The student arrived early, sat front and center, and stood out in my classroom in more ways than one. I’d say that he had about 40 years on his classmates in my class. He eagerly jumped into class discussions, with his self-deprecating humor and wisdom of experience. And he was always respectful of the other students’ opinions, as if each of them were a teacher. Jerry Valencia walked in with a smile-and he left with one too.

One day, Valencia said he would have to stop taking classes that semester and reapply for next year. By then, he hoped to have earned enough money from construction jobs and have his student-loan papers in order. But he said he was still coming to campus to attend events or see friends. He asked seriously whether he could still sit in on my communications class.

Sure, I said. But he wouldn’t get any credit. No problem, he said.

Soon there he was again, back at his old desk, front and center, jumping into our discussions on how to find and tell stories in Los Angeles – a 63-year-old junior with as much energy and curiosity as any of the youngsters in class.

“Here he is, willingly taking a class for the joy of it and benefit of learning,” says Jessica Espinosa, a 25-year old junior. “You may not see that in our generation.”

Valencia showed up and took the final exam too. Afterward, I overheard Valencia say he wanted to stay in school until he earned a master’s degree, but it had taken him 12 years to finish community college, so he had a long way to go.

Twelve years? He was in and out of school, he said, subject to his work schedule and whether he had money for classes. He had earned his associate of arts degree over the summer, then transferred to Cal State LA to start on his bachelor’s.

When you’re spending days on end in a hospital bed, it’s the little things that can make all the difference. That’s what Jess Moran learned when she spent 30 days in hospital in 2014 after being diagnosed (诊断) with cancer. Every day, Moran, then 25, would receive several cards, most from her family and friends, but many from people she had never met.

Her most memorable card came from a woman she had never met—a friend’s boyfriend’s mother—who wrote inside, “You are strong, you are loved, and you will get through this.” The saying soon became Moran’s personal mantra (祈祷文) while in hospital.

“I was lucky that my family and boyfriend were there when I was in hospital, but not everyone has people visiting all the time.” says Moran, who spent more than 100 days on floor 7D at the hospital.

With that in mind, she decided to start bringing cards to other cancer patients staying at the hospital. What started as Moran and her boyfriend. Mike, writing cards has turned into something much larger, with Moran delivering approximately 1,000 “Smile Cards” to patients in the past year.

Moran delivers the cards routinely to the nurses on 7D, who read through each one to make sure they're given to appropriate patients. “The nurses really know the patients, so with them reading the cards and picking who gets what, it’s a little more personalized,” explains Moran.

“Jess is incredible, with an infectious spirit, and has managed to turn her experience into something so positive.” says Kristen Parker, RN, BSN, one of Moran's nurses on 7D. “When patients are having particularly rough days, or spending lots of time in loneliness, these cards really help to brighten their day.”