Most of the U.S. followed along as the madness that unrolled in college basketball this month took off further than predicted. From a number 16 seed beating the number 1 seed. A number 9 beating America’s “sweetheart” and many more that have occurred and busted March Madness brackets each and every night.

Less than 5% of bracket makers predicted these upsets. Whoever thinks about the underdog being victorious in other areas too?

How many times have you been told that the “nerds” you make fun of in school will one day be your boss? There have been countless times the walk-on athlete soon becomes the MVP of the game. What about when the quiet student in the back gets the highest exam grade? All are instances of the underdog coming through.

My favorite underdog story is the one where the nice guy doesn’t finish last. It seems quite stereotypical that girls always fall for the jerks with the clever lines. When the time comes, however, the majority find the sweet, kind-hearted man who makes the heart spin and they win. Just another Cinderella story we all can fall in love with.

In my generation, these types of men/women we seek aren’t typically the ones we date at first. The heartthrobs who aren’t always the kindest sweep us away for a while for the “blinders” to come off and we realize that’s not the type of person someone typically wants to marry.

The underdogs are starting to take a leap of victory in more than just basketball, but now is just when were all becoming more aware of it then before.

When I was growing up, I always loved watching Cinderella and now I have a much greater love than before. I reminded me that even the “commoner” can finish first. There are many stories like this that we read about as children. David and Goliath, Turtle and the Fox, Alfalfa, and especially Forest Gump. These characters all gave you hope while reading their stories.

We’ve all seen and heard them before, but they still seem to take us by surprise. It can be forgotten that not all Prince Charmings are born into their royalty, some still work from dust to get to the finish line they desire.

As March Madness has come to its end and the Cinderella teams fade away, don’t let the idea of underdogs swooping in to victory disappear. Be one of the people that doesn’t underestimate the underdog.