What is your favorite non-traditional way to learn and what are you currently learning outside of school? by Alexander

What is your favorite non-traditional way to learn and what are you currently learning outside of school? by Alexander - September 2024 Scholarship Essay

Learning to me is a natural process in life. It occurs on a daily basis and it is not bound by age. We learn to progress through our endeavors and our curiosity. For all of us, there is one traditional way to learn and that is through school. Undoubtedly, school gives humans a stable foundation of knowledge. However, there are other ways of learning. Mine for example has to do with my Bulgarian background.

I’ve been visiting Bulgaria ever since I was born. In my youth, regardless of language it was easy to integrate. At the same time, however, I felt timid. I couldn’t read, nor write. The Cyrillic alphabet was an unknown field to my younger self. By the age of eight, I wanted to widen my knowledge about Bulgaria. I started to learn the alphabet and with help from my grandmother, I soon was able to read and later write. I experienced much joy immediately after! Bookstores and museums became my forte. I learned not only about the country’s rich history but the Slavic people, too. I listen to the incredible Bulgarian folk music- drums, bagpipes, and the pristine vocals of the “Mystery of the Bulgarian Voices”. This amazing cultural experience made me grow. I even learned how to play the Bulgarian bagpipe “gaida”. I’m a musician and I can feel through the music that there was a story behind each melody. I would ask my grandfather to tell me about these stories- some of them sad but some of them cheerful. I loved them all and it was my way of learning about history.

Transitioning into middle school, I became more acquainted with the cell phone. It was through texting with my grandparents that my Bulgarian grammar improved which also resulted in expanding communication with all of my Bulgarian friends and family. My curiosity about history also broadened and I found myself learning through films and television series. By the time I reached high school, my knowledge of European history built considerably strong. For me, to integrate into another language and culture is to be willing to learn. Since I was not in a school setting in Bulgaria, my sources were the museums, the music, and my grandparents.

Another way to learn is through simple observation. It could be about friendship, behavior, or just life in general. Through observation I’ve learned how to distinguish right from wrong, how to keep myself safe, and how to behave in public places.

All of this made me become a better person, learning not only through school, but through simple things that come by in everyday life.