Knowledge is Power by Breeana

Knowledge is Power by Breeana - December 2014 Scholarship Essay

Nelson Mandela stated “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” The subject of education itself is such a broad topic to comment on. Education is the schooling each day a student receives, the common sense people are born with, the knowledge people learn on the street, the bad habits children and adults pick up on from the people around, and the awareness people show to others. Education is learning or teaching. Education impacts each and every person every day of their life.

For the most part, a child enters kindergarten as a blank slate. That child is innocent and an open book for learning. From day one, education shapes and molds us into the people we become. A fundamental, yet creative lesson plan, along with an above average teacher can mean the difference between a contributing member to society and a not so successful person. Education has shaped every aspect of who I am today. I learned at a young age that knowledge was power and I could accomplish anything by using my brain. I paid attention in school and strived to be the best student I could be. I always wanted straight A’s and did everything I could to get there. This taught me life skills, like dedication and determination, while learning content knowledge about the core subjects. A good student will be a good employee. Education shaped the way I behave at my part time jobs that I work to pay for college. I learned skills necessary in school to be a successful employee. Education has made me well-behaved and knowledgeable to contribute ideas in the work place that benefit not only me, but the company I work for.

In addition to schooling, education by example has shaped me into a well-rounded senior in college. This is the education I have received from the people around me, rather than an actual educator. I have learned that I can’t please everybody but I can keep an open mind to understand that it is a person’s choice to agree or disagree and that is okay. Education has taught me that it is acceptable to be different. Education has taught me to love diversity because it opens our minds to knowledge we wouldn't normally be able to understand in a classroom. Education is exploring the unconventional methods of receiving information and using that in a positive manner.

On top of receiving an education, I will be an educator. Education fuels the fire in me to better society. Education has shaped my choice of professional career as a middle school teacher. The role of the student in education is to simply learn. Learn is a complex word, though. Learn does not just mean retain knowledge and understand the material being taught. Learn means to explore, ask questions, create ideas and think about what it is they are doing and what it means. I want my students on their own to be able to critically think about real life situation, make smart decisions, and develop realistic and reasonable morals. I want them to be productive. The purpose of education is a whole range of things. It is to question and to learn about what interests an individual or what will help them in life. It is to challenge students to strive for more knowledge that will better themselves and the people around them. I believe that everybody has the potential to change the world and education helps them to accomplish this because it makes the individuals aware of their surroundings. The teacher his or her self is changing the lives of students they have in their classroom and they need to know what they want, and how they will do it to be most beneficial for those students. I want to teach because I know that I have something to offer students. I want each individual student to learn what they need to and be motivated to use skills outside of the classroom. Every student has something to offer and I want to be sure they know that they can accomplish whatever it is they need, or want, to accomplish. I like to help people and bring out the best in them. I intend to help my students to enjoy learning and show them how it will benefit them in the long run. Students may not know how smart they really are until somebody brings out the best in them and shows them how they can help others and apply themselves.

Education has shaped every part of my life. From childhood to adulthood, education has given and taken pieces of me to make me who I am right now. I am a full time undergraduate college student working toward a degree in middle level education while work two jobs and still maintaining a 3.88 cumulative grade point average. I feel that education has shaped me into an accomplished young woman and I continue to let it shape me further into success on my journey of learning and educating.