Education is a privilege that is often taken for granted, and recently has become an ongoing topic between younger generations, who wonder if it’s worth pursuing for one’s future.
Education has been around for a long time, but throughout said time, not everyone has been able to access it. Whether it was because of race, gender, or religion, a battle for equal access to education has been and is being fought. But many either forget about this battle or choose to ignore it, and this can be seen by many of the younger generations as a lack of aspiration to seek higher education. This sort of thinking has never stuck with me. I have always surrounded myself with the idea of pursuing higher education, because early in life, I became aware that education is a privilege that not everyone may get.
I was raised hearing the stories of my parents who were hard working students, who dreamt of a future where they could seek a higher education that could give them more opportunities in more careers. However, due to their living environment, they had no choice but to leave their dreams behind, and their stories became the first reason why I wanted to seek higher education. I began to take advantage of the educational opportunities that came with being where I lived. So I studied hard while going to school and there were moments where I struggled like all other students.
Sometimes going to school didn’t feel worth all the stress but then as I was growing, I began to realize that all the good grades and compliments from teachers were proof of my hard work and I was proud of myself and all I did even when I made mistakes. I think that’s all students need to realize that education is something that they may want to pursue. Students need to know that when they try hard and succeed, or make mistakes, it’s a part of the educational experience and not giving up just makes them grow as humans.
Therefore I think students, like me who have realized that higher education is just another way to grow, choose to seek it. There are students out there who value education the same way I do, and they know the struggle that comes with pursuing higher education. The reward of being proud of one’s own accomplishments is far greater. Education is important not only because of the multiple opportunities it opens up but also a way to grow as a person and become a person who someone could be proud of, including themselves.
