Varsity Tutors Scholarship Essay by Michaela

Varsity Tutors Scholarship Essay by Michaela - November 2021 Scholarship Essay

The class that deserves more emphasis in school is basic home-education classes like cooking, sewing, and fundamental woodworking. The skills learned in these classes are vital things that seem to be being phased out of general education in high school for more academic courses like math, English, languages, etc. The skills learned in these courses are vital for life after high school as graduates enter into adulthood and start moving out of their childhood homes. Too many peers and younger generations have no idea how to cook basic meals, tailor damaged clothing, or repair damaged furniture. The last two items listed tend to contribute to the discard and fast consumerism trends that plague today's markets and ravage consumers' pockets.
I believe that cooking is imperative to learn as a high schooler to help prepare future graduates to survive as independent adults. Learning how to cook and learning about nutrition help ease the stress of day-to-day life. It also teaches high-schoolers how to prepare nutritious meals, which helps cut down on the cost of ordering out or using food delivery services like DoorDash. Learning how to cook can also help students unlock passions that they might not have previously discovered and show them an avenue of creativity and self-expression they might not have once found without the aid of the class.
Secondly, I believe that sewing classes are also extremely vital in preparing high-schoolers for adulthood. As mentioned before, there has been a rise in fast fashion and "throw-away" culture, which harms consumers' wallets and environmental sustainability. Learning how to mend, tailor, and even make clothing can be highly cost-efficient compared to buying a new pair of jeans once they have ripped or been otherwise damaged. Learning how to tailor clothing can also be extremely useful if you have garments that no longer fit due to weight fluctuation, which is common among students due to stress. Being able to tailor an item of clothing yourself can save a student money compared to going to a professional tailor or buying a new article of clothing.
Thirdly, basic woodworking classes can be excellent when doing home improvements and teach a student techniques for more difficult home projects like wiring or plumbing. These skills, if done correctly, can save a student hundreds of dollars on hiring professionals for basic projects. As with the other two mentioned benefits, these courses could also inspire future hobbies or careers where a student can thrive.