Diversifying Education by Kailee

Diversifying Education by Kailee - December 2014 Scholarship Essay

Education can be found in many forms and in many places. School isn't the only place where someone can gain education. Real world experiences offer lessons and education of a different sort. Who can say which one is better? Ideally, the two will work together to shape your life and make you into the best person you can be.

I am largely shaped by my real world education. Every person I've met is different. They all have their own stories, and no story is better than the others. So often in today’s society, people are judged because of their background, or because of some defining characteristic. Meeting a diverse cast of people throughout my life has helped me become more educated about different things than can affect a person’s life. I was never very close minded, but this education about people has made me even more open minded. Hearing a person’s story about how they've been ostracized by their parents because they try to be themselves makes me see how horrible other people can be. Nobody deserves to be unhappy. Nobody deserves a life full of struggles, and the things I've learned from meeting other people has made me angry about the state of society. It has shaped me into a person who is very passionate about broadening the acceptance of diversity. I have no tolerance for people who judge others based on race, gender, sexuality, or anything else of that sort. I passionately believe that everyone deserves to be loved and accepted. Without the real world education I've received, I would still be accepting but I would not be as passionate about getting others to accept their fellow humans.