A Life-Changing Adventure by Isabella

A Life-Changing Adventure by Isabella - April 2015 Scholarship Essay

Having an education has changed my life so much, it has made me yearn to become a teacher; I want to help, nourish and love children as I, in turn, change their lives. I have realized that education is life-changing not just because one “learns”. What good is filling up a brain with knowledge if all a person does is store the information? But, as the learner is taught to also apply the knowledge to his or her surroundings and society, it changes not only the learner, but everyone who the learner impacts. In various ways, an education provides the adventure through life. It allows a person to explore, then to prepare, and finally to conquer whatever goal that is set, or challenge that is encountered.

Like all adventures, an education includes a good deal of exploring. In the elementary years, for example, one learns their alphabet through a song, and numbers through memorization games and activities. It is a fun experience, stimulating creativity and curiosity. And just as looking at the world sparks a desire to go out into it, opening a child’s mind plants the seed of wonder and anticipation for more knowledge. As I grew up, I discovered my talents and strengths through studying various school subjects and disciplines. Even now, as I go into college, I am still exploring the career path I want to study and work toward.

The whole reason why people specialize in a certain practice or career is to be prepared for living independently in the world. To earn a living, one needs a job. A typical job requires competence, which requires skill and knowledge of what one is good at; and contentment in that job requires knowledge of what one likes. As one is educated in all of the different subjects, he or she gains a well-rounded knowledge in order to understand the world and others, as well as a love for certain subjects. And in college, one majors in what he or she is interested in and hones skills for practically applying that interest, preparing the student for a potential job.

But the purpose of an education is not just to get a career; it prepares a person more thoroughly than that. An education gives one the knowledge and ability to conquer what he or she sets out to do in life. As individuals, we all travel different roads that intersect with different people and lead through different peaks and valleys. Learning information and how it can be applied to the world will serve as a valuable tool when one seeks to become a professor, for instance, or needs to cope with loss. The more one learns, the more one gains experience; the more experience that is gained, the more wisdom one possesses. And the wisdom to know what to do in the present and in the future is a huge asset to facing difficulties and fulfilling goals in one’s journey through life.

On life’s road, an education is like a map. Although it does not clearly show where one will be at the end of the pilgrimage, it grants information about the world, preparing the traveler for exploring more on the world’s path; and through that knowledge and experience, the traveler will grow to accomplish and complete his or her journey. For these reasons, an education is one of the most life-changing things that can be handed to an individual. How can I not want to be someone who helps cultivate that power in others’ lives?