Small town thoughts by Abigail

Small town thoughts by Abigail - July 2019 Scholarship Essay

Going to college was always inevitable for me. Coming from a large immigrant family and seeing my uncles, aunts, and cousins work incredibly hard to obtain their college degrees made me see the value that an education can have on your life. Since I was always set on going to college I had to figure out the questions that most students fear, “What do I want to study?” It was incredibly hard to narrow down and pinpoint what I wanted to study because despite my passion for school I never had a class or subject that made my heart stir, make my blood boil with fervor, or sparked any sort of interest apart from the idea that doing well in school would get me good grades and make my parents proud. I truly did not understand the passion I feel for political science that does make my heart stir, and at times makes my blood boil when deeply embroiled in conversations about policy, until I ended up in Argentina.
Freshly turning 17 I ended up in the minuscule town of Aranguren, Argentina. The population was around 1,000 people and my arrival to them made me feel like some sort of celebrity, as the most interesting to do in town to do was help out in the farms nearby. Being so remote in the country it allowed me to really connect with my fellow classmates and dive into my studies for the three months I was there. What I learned in Argentina would be invaluable to my understanding of the world and my growing passion for learning and the world around me.
The school I attended was very small and compared to the normal American high school had very few resources like books, technology, and even a heater to keep the class warm during the blistering cold of the northern Argentine winter. Despite that, every morning we would have a government class that I would look forward to. We did not need the amenities that many American students take for granted, the students found their passion from within to come to class full of enthusiasm and fervor in their conversations that struck interest in me about the distinct government in Argentina. Before I knew it, something inside me was growing. Every day at 8 am my heart would skip a beat as we began our daily lessons in the intricacies of Argentina's economy, foreign affairs, and. Never in my life had I felt those feelings toward a subject and the only comparison to what I felt would be falling in love. The concepts where foreign to me but that is what excited me the most, becoming aware of my ignorance. I had spent my whole life studying American politics but being able to compare the two and analyze how they affect the society people live in was what really interested me.
After that experience, I fostered a better understanding of what a passion for education is. Learning is lifelong, you can't expect to learn everything you need to know your whole life in school. One must approach their education with the knowledge of their own ignorance, with that grit, determination, and an open mind can one truly begin to feel the passion for education and the lifelong journey that one takes when they develop a passion for learning. As Socrates said, “ all I know is that I know nothing.” With these principles, I will continue to push through my education with the same passion and fervor for the rest of my life.