#ONEBILLION by Alicia

#ONEBILLION by Alicia - April 2018 Scholarship Essay

Mr.Solomon Ortiz, a former U.S. Representative once said, "education is the key to success," he's right. Everyone dreams of the American dream, a stable home, a good financial status, and a perfect family. In order to afford this perfect lifestyle you must first endure the load of being a student and when it comes to educating yourself their shouldn't be boundaries, because education is priceless.

However, there are boundaries. I grew up on the streets of Skidrow, located in the "City of Angeles," not many "Angels" in Skidrow. Everyday I walked through these dirty streets my mother would remind me the importance of education, I thought I understood. I thought "as long as I don't end up like these people, I'll be fine." I was wrong, education is so much more than settling for less, it's giving back to your community because when you are educated you are valuable.

From saving innocent people from executions to conducting surgeries on sick people, when there are lives at stake, the gift of education is the most precious thing anyone can have in the moment. The hashtag represents more than just numbers, it represents the amount of people an educated person can affect. As did Mr.Solomon Ortiz, an educated man.