What is the best piece of educational advice that you have ever received? How did it help you? by Rachel

What is the best piece of educational advice that you have ever received? How did it help you? by Rachel - May 2014 Scholarship Essay

When I was a little girl, my mother and father told me stories of college and a brighter future. I can still hear my mother telling me that knowledge is power and education makes the world go round. Her father used to tell her she better get an education if she wants to get anywhere in life. I believe these
statements to still be true today. Although my grandfather never got a degree, he was a well-respected veteran and obtained employment as a mechanical engineer at McDonnell Douglas. Because of my grandfather's reputation as a valuable worker, my mother was able to pay for her way through college by also working at McDonnell Douglas in a different department. My father, in kind, paid for his college through loans and jobs that he held through his academic career. My father tells me, "you never stop learning." Both my parents received Bachelor's degrees and this is the diligent work ethic that is set as an example for my life.

As a single parent, pursuing her own higher education, I encourage my daughter to pursue anything that is worthwhile with the same diligence and perseverance that my parents and grandparents taught me in my own journey. Through quiet humility and practical life application, I plan to show my child how to pursue her dreams, and sometimes use words. My educational advice to her is the same as my mother's advice to me; that knowledge and education is power. The living example of the benefits of education that was shown me, helps me to continue in my own education, even at thirty-four years of age. I hope to pass on this advice to my child and this will help her to continue to pursue her passions through education in her own life as she
continues to grow. I truly believe, you never stop learning.