Mr. Keating helps Neil realize that his passion is acting (a career of which his father did not approve) and gives Neil the courage to converse with Neil's father who has planned the rest of Neil's life as a "successful" doctor. Instead of discouraging Neil from the acting profession, Mr. Keating tells Neil to "show him [Neil's father] who you are and where your heart is." It is important for a teacher to always encourage students and tell them to “reach for the stars” because every teacher understands that every child has a significant amount of potential within them. This scene refers to a past problem in education, when it was believed that women should finish their studies before men and take up the only occupation as a housewife and mother in relation to the fact that Neil wanted to become an actor. I believe that women have the same potential for success as men in any field of the workforce. Connecting this with education, women now have the opportunity to attend college and continue their education to become valuable assets to contribute to society. In this case, teachers have the role of motivating students, male or female, to achieve their personal goals