The Key to Life by Anna

The Key to Life by Anna - April 2018 Scholarship Essay

Many strive for fame and fortune, they do what they can to be successful. In reality, they should be striving for education. Through the enlightenment that knowledge brings, anything is attainable. That is why education is the #KEYTOLIFE.
Education does not necessarily mean sitting in a classroom or lecture hall listening to a teacher. It is not always found at schools, but instead out in the world. Each person has something to enlighten another individual with whether it is a mistake they have learned from, a special talent or even knowledge they have gained from a life experience. One must interact with others and listen to their stories, the places they have been, the things they have learned, in order to become rich. With this attainment of knowledge comes wisdom and with it, the doors to the world will be unlocked.
Education is defined in two ways. What comes to most minds’ is the process of receiving or giving systematic instruction, usually in a school like setting. The second explanation is an enlightening experience. This is what most people overlook. Many students believe that education is solely related to books, school and teachers. As a result the word “education” comes with a negative connotation. People need to open their eyes to the endless forms that education comes in and the infinite amount of possibilities that can come from it. It truly is a key component in molding a person and is something that will shape the future of the world.
Once one can grasp that being enlightened by information will lead to better comprehension of their environment, it will cause them to strive for it. It can lead one to encounter their passions and eventually to fulfill their own self-actualization. As a human being we have basic needs that must be met and as they are achieved, one moves on to attain the next level. The only true way is through education. Without it, one may never come to realize their true calling. Many times people wander through life working to keep food on the table and their condition stable. But once they begin to explore other options and learn new ways to live, they may eventually come to find the meaning to their life. The only way to do this, is to step out of one’s comfort zone and expand their horizons through the school of life.
Going beyond self-fulfillment is education for the children of the future. We are expected to go to school and learn the basics that will set us on our feet. But once that generation begins to have children, it becomes their responsibility to ensure that those children grow and prosper in formal education through school in hopes that it will spark their desire for achievement. The world is ever changing and each generation must be prepared for the next adventure whether that is discovering a way to reverse climate change, invent a flying car or become the next Shakespeare. Education, an enlightening experience, is the key to success, the future and truly living.