"The Greatest Power" by Anna

"The Greatest Power" by Anna - July 2016 Scholarship Essay

“Knowledge is power” or when said in Russian it’s spelled, “знание - сила.” The reason why I wrote that phrase in Russian, is because one of the greatest lessons was in Russian class. I’m of Russian and Ukrainian descent, with my family coming here more than 20 years ago. I decided to learn the Russian language because being bilingual is advantageous in the world. I want to be able to communicate with and reach as many people as possible. After I successfully learn Russian, I want to learn French, Italian, Ukrainian, and Polish.
I remember walking into Russian class on the first day in September 2015, and not knowing what to expect. As soon as I sat down, I felt that I was sitting in an elementary based class, except the language was brand new. I wish I would’ve learned Russian when I was a child, rather than as a young adult. I didn’t know anything that was going on, and felt scared to learn this language at the age of 17. I told myself internally “Anna you got this!” We started off the first few classes, learning the Russian alphabet, which was nothing I’ve ever heard of or seen before. Everything in life is about repetition and practice. I threw away the negativity and pushed with learning, and learning with each lesson. My professor is a very hardworking, passionate person. She won’t stop until every single student understands the lesson and the task at hand. My professor doesn’t want students to give up, even when it might appear to be hard.
The greatest lesson I’ve learned was when my professor told us, “Knowledge is power” because it truly is. My professor was teaching us various Russian phrases, but this one stood out the most to me. She gave a whole class lecture on the importance of education, and pursing higher education. Higher education and pursuing a degree helps one gain such a deep understanding of the world. She told us that we shouldn’t feel intimidated by the class, but take it with a mighty hand. My professor was able to inspire and show my classmates and me that education is very important. I spoke to my teacher after every single class, and she always told me to keep going with my learning. I wouldn’t ever stop constantly asking questions, and expanding my mind. I really wanted to learn as much as I could within those two semesters of Russian. My professor helped me after class with the vocabulary, conjugations, and pronunciations. Before I knew it, I was getting “A’s” in all of my tests and quizzes. This wasn’t just making me proud that I was mastering a new language at the age of 17-18 but it was making my parents and my professor very proud of me.
I really loved this phrase and felt so empowered by it. Everyone has the ability to pursue their dreams and accomplish them. The more I learn, the more I know, and thus it helps me gain a greater understanding of the world around me. To want to learn, is to want to excel in this life. My professor is an amazing and such a caring woman, who never stops trying to teach us. I’m so fortunate of being able to take Russian classes in my university and to be able to have such a passionate professor. I was able to learn one of the greatest lessons a student should know. “Knowledge is power”, or “знание - сила.” Once someone sees that knowledge gives them power, you are starting to unlock into your untapped resources of your mind. Many people don’t know how important learning truly is. Learning is one of the greatest gifts any person can receive from a teacher, a friend, lover, parent, relative, neighbor, and etc. Anything is achievable once you put your mind to it. Kofi Annan once said, “Knowledge is power. Information is liberating. Education is the premise of progress, in every society, in every family.” I will continue to learn and grow as a person every single day, no matter what. I’ve unlocked the power and now I have to go out there and achieve what will be mine. I have strong and big goals, but I know with my tenacity and grit I’ll be able to achieve anything I want. If anybody has anything they want to do in this life, they must know first that “Knowledge is power!” Once they know that, they’ll be set for life, and be able to excel.