Why Education Matters by Robert

Why Education Matters by Robert - April 2015 Scholarship Essay

Education is a path that begins a wondrous journey that never should be confused with a decision that leads to a destination. Education neither starts nor ends with a diploma or degree. It is truly a lifelong process. We are all students of the environment in which we live. As soon as we stop educating ourselves, as soon as we willingly stop learning…we become less effective and less relevant to the world around us.

The world is full of problems, some rather light-hearted and simple, and others much more serious and complex. I am a firm believer that we are here to solve problems. However, without an education, whether it is formal and structured, or learned in the field of experience, we will fail to solve the problems that confront us on a daily basis, and we will not possess the wisdom to avoid those problems in the future. The product of an education is what fuels the engine of evolution. If education is not adopted by the masses and allowed to flourish without hindrance, we will fail to adapt. We will fail to survive. We will fail each other.

It is not so much about what you know; how much you know; nor who you know…however, it is about how you think…how you connect the dots…how you see patterns…how you always ask yourself “why,” while not being bound by the “why not?” While some people have a natural inclination to exhibit such behaviors, most need to be trained in order to engage these parts of the brain.

Secondly, education levels the playing field. Education does not recognize color, creed or religion. I am a second generation African American college graduate, but more importantly, I am a lifelong learner. While pursuing such a path has opened doors for me that were closed to my parents, and the generations before them, it has done something far greater. It has allowed me to expand my mind; experience life to the fullest; and it has allowed me to make many of my dreams a reality.

Lastly, I believe an education helps you to better understand and establish who you are; the environment in which you live in; and how you fit into that environment. Education serves as a powerful instrument to enlighten; to remove ignorance and to drive mankind in its unending quest to explore and discover, and push beyond our own boundaries while simultaneously learning a little more about ourselves.