A Ticket to Life by Kaylea

A Ticket to Life by Kaylea - November 2016 Scholarship Essay

Coming from parents whose families didn’t have much growing up, I have always been told to be grateful for every little thing that is offered to my life. My Mom and Dad grew up together and are high school sweethearts, so they have struggled together. My Dad was in the Air Force, and decided that he was going to go for a college degree. My Mom and Dad, having always done things together, as a team, decided that they would go to the University of Southern Maine to get their bachelor degrees. They most definitely couldn’t afford college, in fact they could barely even afford a meal. At a certain point in time, they had to ration every piece of food they ever got, right down to counting the amount of chips they had so they had leftover for the next day. The experiences that they have been through have made them strong people. The most important message that they have passed on to me throughout my life so far, would be to never take anything for granted.
College overall, is something that many people have many different views on. I know that college will be one of the most important times of my life to me. College is something that isn’t just handed out to random people because they deserve it or are privileged enough to have it, it’s something that you earn over a lifetime. I will always resort back to my college education as being the biggest event in my life, because it is a ticket to the life that is ahead of you. As my parents have always told me, your college education is one of the most important things you can have as an adult.
I’ve seen both side of what it could look like without a college education, and what it looks like with one. Many of my relatives live in northern Maine, where there just isn’t a whole lot of opportunity. The majority of them have lived there their entire lives and don’t know any better, but I can say that going from Gorham, Maine to Northern Main is a huge difference in living styles. The towns are not doing well and the people aren’t either. The way that they are living, I believe, is due to them not getting a higher education and getting a good job. Many of them don’t work at all. A college education is something that cannot be taken away from you, and is a ticket to success the majority of the time. This is exactly why I will always be most grateful for my college education.