My Safe Haven by Brooklyn

My Safe Haven by Brooklyn - October 2022 Scholarship Essay

To me, education means freedom. Freedom to be whoever and wherever you want to be. Freedom to express yourself and realize that mistakes are part of the process. The value of education is limitless, and I consider myself extremely lucky that for the past 12 years, I have had the right to free education, unlike many other people in the world, especially other females. Having access to education has given me boundless opportunities to not only grow intellectually but to grow as a person. I cannot imagine who I would be today without it. I definitely would not be searching for any way to learn and teach others, such as being one of the first reading tutor apprentices for Washington County, Maryland. Without the freedom I have gained from education, I would not be the person I am today and would not be capable of becoming the person I hope to be.

I have felt so limited by my life circumstances for as long as I can remember, and starting public school in 5th grade was incredibly eye-opening. It allowed, and continues to allow me to dream of becoming an astronaut, a teacher, a doctor, or even a quantum physicist. As I have grown, my aspirations have refined, and my current dream is to pursue a career in social work. This career requires, at the minimum, eight years of higher education. Which is a journey that I am excited yet anxious to embark on. I want to help people in whatever way I can, beginning with educating myself on how to help others. Ignorance is not bliss. It is one of the world's most prominent issues; people must be educated and informed. Without knowledge, there is no growth, and the absence of evolution leads to a society that is no longer productive and where no one is free.

In another sense, education has also provided me freedom from my personal life. My home has felt like a prison for almost as long as I can remember. Despite the added stress of homework and exams, my school has always been a safe place for me. It has been my way out of home life that I cannot control and has given me access to outlets in my life that bring me peace. Attending school has allowed me to meet new people, regardless of whether their impact was positive or negative, and these relationships have helped shape me into the individual I am today. It has also allowed me to deepen my connection with music through the orchestra program I was able to join and have since participated in since 5th grade. Access to education has broadened my horizons in all areas of my life and has taught me the standard K-12 lessons and additional life lessons that are essential to know when growing up in today's society.

Although education has provided me the ability to supersede my home life and become whoever I dream to be, there is also this gnawing fear of failure. The failure of college not living up to my expectations or vice versus. There is fear of the fact I might not pass every class and exam with straight A’s. A fear that the one dream that has kept me going through loss, mental illness, and the conundrum that has always been my life, is just a facade that I have been promising myself as a way to keep going for many years. However, I know that this is false and that it is uncertainty that has set in and prevented me from being courageous and utilizing the first-rate privileges education has given me. Despite my fears, I will try because that is all that I can do. Believe and strive for success so that all my dreams will come true and that school will continue to be a safe haven for me.