The Importance of Education by Catherine

The Importance of Education by Catherine - April 2020 Scholarship Essay

During my four years of my undergraduate studies at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College, I have obtained an increased amount of privilege and experiences than I thought I would if I did not attend college after high school. My parents did not go away to college, nor did they major in what they loved to do but they always told me “Follow your dreams” and that’s what I think education allows us to do. I first started as a Music Therapy major believing that it was what I wanted to pursue. I learned about the profession, observed and lead the sessions. However, by the end of my sophomore year, I discovered that it was not what I imagined. I had much more of a passion for performing. Someone once told me “The whole point of college is to learn what you want to do in your future.” And they were right. I changed my major, continued to work hard, and determined what I wanted to do with my life. Education isn’t just a place that student’s go to learn, it is the place we go to discover ourselves, grow, and participate in experiences that are rare.
As a freshman, if you asked me “What do you want to do with your life?” I would have looked at you and laughed. I was, what they say “The lost fish in the sea.” They say when you are young, you have a vision of what you want to be, but sometimes when you learn about the profession and grow, that “vision” changes. I had the idea of helping others whether that was with music, nursing, or counseling. But once I learned how empathetic I was towards people, the connections I made, and how the music would distract me from my actual job, I realized that I would counter-transference. Counter-transference means that mine or the patient’s emotions would crash together. I knew from that experience; I was not meant to be in this kind of profession. However, as I continually performed on stage, practiced, and watched opera, I knew that I was meant to be in the performance field.
When we think about education, we just imagine being in class all day, and working on homework all the time. But we don’t think about the opportunities that could be presented to us. During my time at Saint Mary’s, I was given the opportunity to be in multiple ensembles, participate in leadership and volunteer activities, work, and create new friends. These experiences included: being president of the Peace and Justice Committee, soloist in a CD recording for our small ensemble, working for games, volunteering at our Sister’s Healthcare center, traveling to Ireland, and being a member of a winning International Choral competition. These experiences allowed me to see a new culture, grow as an individual, have school spirit, gain new friendships, and travel around the world. Also, it encouraged me to be independent by living on campus.
I have had many performing opportunities given to me by the music and theatre department that allowed me to grow as a musician, create more memories, travel, and become independent. Most of all, I was blessed with a faculty who takes care of each of their students. Our Universities’ quote by our founder, Saint Mother Theodore Guerin is “Love the students first, then teach them.” And I believe that it is a fine example of how teachers empower education. As an undergraduate who is pursuing graduate school, each of my professors was there to guide me in the right direction, advise me during difficult times and decisions, instruct me and tell me what I am doing wrong so that I can fix it. I learned how to take tough criticism. I believe that education is important because it encourages students to come out of their comfort zones, become leaders in clubs and organizations, learns new skills that are essential, studies abroad. Most importantly, gain friendships and connections. I never imagined myself being the President of a club, and I always thought that I wouldn’t be able to do it. But I was wrong for my Sophomore and senior year, I was nominated as President of the Peace and Justice Committee. It was a scary adjustment for me, but I learned new skills and became very passionate in my role as president. Education may be expensive, but there is funding and scholarships available to allow those students with financial troubles to still go to college and experience the beauty and growth that will overcome them.