Education is my Second Parent by Madeline

Education is my Second Parent by Madeline - December 2014 Scholarship Essay

Education is a vital organ to the body of a successful and healthy life. Personally, education has always been a very important part of who I am and who I am working to become. My parents are divorced and my mom is a very busy single mother working to make enough for the two of us. She never went to college and has had to work harder than many to make an adequate income, so she has always taught me the importance of school and learning. Not only has she shown me the impact of a good and long education, but also the importance of honesty and perseverance within it. Education has been like my second parent, every teacher I have had are individual character traits, or components, welding together to create one whole human. This amalgamation of a human has been a nurturer, a cultivator of my life and personality. The education I have has forced me to appreciate the opportunities brought into my life. It has given me the tools to create a future for myself, and it has taught me to love learning as well as how to maintain the dedication to capture as much knowledge as I can along the way.

I am blessed to live in a community with excellent public schools, a luxury not many have so easily accessible. This being so, I have grown a deep appreciation for what I have and all that is brought my way. Because of this, I try to make every opportunity count, to not waste what I have or take it for granted. Though, I know I can take some things for granted, I know better when to recognize those times, to go back and give appreciation where it is due, to fix the moments I did not cherish the way I should have.

Not only do I have the appreciation, I have the tools. My education has given me the items necessary to move forward, to build a life for myself. I have been taught so much in my years of schooling thus far, not only on the subjects commonly thought of--Math, English, Science, Social Studies--but also in life. I have had many excellent teachers who were able to take the lessons in the classroom and teach my fellow students and me to utilize them in the real world. I believe the schooling I have had up to this point has prepared me greatly to take the next step in furthering my education.

I want to gain as much knowledge as I possibly can. I want to learn everything the world has to offer, inside, and out of the classroom. I intend to pursue college to allow my mind to be expanded by professors and students alike, to learn what everyone has to offer. I love to be challenged by the courses I take, to push my mind to think differently, to find a new way, to search for the connections. I strive to be surrounded with a diverse group of individuals who will push me, challenge the way I think and what I believe. That is another thing my education has taught and passed down to me: the yearning to learn so much more. I have gained my drive from all of the schooling I have experienced thus far, and it has only made me want to keep going. I have never been one of those kids to count down the days until the year is over, to seek summer air in the open window of a classroom. Rather, I have been excited for the first day of school, waiting impatiently for the first round of homework to start. I love to be able to take my scratchy pencil and trace it along the paper, thoughts turning to led, to action. I jump on projects the day they are assigned and I always complete my work, making sure I understand the subject. I want to learn, I want the knowledge, and I want to expand my mind as well as my horizons.

Education has shaped me in every way possible. It has cultivated my appreciation, my distaste for taking wonderful things for granted. My education has nurtured me, given me--not too much--but just enough to realize my potential, to be able to succeed and grow on my own. Though all of these traits are notable, the most important of all the ways education has impacted my life is enhancing my love to learn and just to simply try, even when I’m unsure whether or not I will succeed. This is why education is my second parent; I have my mom, and I have education. They have taught me that the simple act of action can bring so much more than sitting on negativity and inaction. Both of my ‘parents’ have always been there for me, and both are standing by my side for many years to come. Education has been my everything, and I hope so greatly to continue growing within it.