Learning for life by Abby

Learning for life by Abby - March 2013 Scholarship Essay

I have been privileged to learn from many different people, and they have impacted me in many positive ways.  But when I think about who has been the most influential in my life, the answer is immediately clear - yet I cannot narrow it down to one person.  Without further delay, let me explain: my two most influential teachers are my parents.  Perhaps many people could say that their parents held the most influence in their lives, but for me it is uniquely true, because my parents played a double role as parents and teachers as they homeschooled me and my siblings all the way through high school.
 As I think back to the homeschooling years, several things stand out that continue to influence the way I approach learning and the way I approach life.  First, my mother loved to learn, and her enthusiasm was contagious.  Life has never been boring, because I have always had more interests than I had time to pursue.  Second, learning doesn’t stop when you “finish school”, whether at the high school level, the college level, or beyond.  The real-life learning experiences I have had since high school are invaluable to me, from learning to soothe a fussy baby or cook for a crowd to learning how to manage a small business.  Third, learning isn’t an end in itself, but a tool that equips us for life, for service to our fellow man, and for service to God.  With this in mind, my goal in pursuing college education will not be fulfilled by the simple conferral of a degree.  The more I learn about the intricacy and order of the processes of life, the more I am stirred to awe and appreciation of the God who set it in motion.  And the more I understand of the greatness and love of God, the more I am moved with desire to meet the needs of the people around me.
 I’m thankful for my two most influential teachers - my parents.  They instilled in me a love for learning, an understanding that learning is a life-long process, and a goal of translating learning into service to God and others.  Both in college and beyond, I am excited to have the opportunity to continue to learn, not as an end in itself, but as a means to a greater end.