How has education shaped who you are today by Horace

How has education shaped who you are today by Horace - December 2014 Scholarship Essay

Education has shaped every bit of who I have become. My 4th grade teacher told my mother “he is bright, but he can talk” I didn’t know how much that statement would impact me as an adult. I remember reading my first scholastic book in middle school and falling in love with it. It made me curious to read more. The books were small, but it had content that I liked. I was the loquacious kid that like to talk and read, very outgoing and social. My mother used to tell me to be quiet in class and let the teacher talk. I was always very hyper.

Fast forward to high school. I am in the top boy’s school in Philadelphia. I found out other people who were called nerds, and it was not a bad thing. I had found my calling. Central high school in Philadelphia has one of the most robust English curriculums. I read “To Kill a mockingbird”, and “Animal Farm”, and “Of Mice & Men that year”. It reinforced my love of reading and comprehension. I always loved words. I liked authors that could make words dance. As a senior in high school, I joined the drama club, the tango club, and gospel choir.

Fast Forward to my entrance into the U.S. Army. I scored high on my Aptitude tests. I believe it was due to my experiences in high school and middle school that laid the foundation. It has given me the well rounded nature that I exhibit today. I am thankful for it, but still thirsty.

Fast Forward to my first year in my current program (Network Administration/MIS). I am again back to being the nerd. However, I am now a father and husband that still appreciates learning and how far that it has taken me. It has opened my eyes and kept me looking forward. It grants me the passion I need to continue to explore new things, and meet new people who are on a similar journey. It has shaped things in me that I cannot measure. It has allowed me to keep asking questions, and to fail. Because once I fail, I have gained some sort of wisdom. That talkative, outgoing boy has never given up and he will never.

Horace E. McNeil