To Live It, and to Share It by Sabrina

To Live It, and to Share It by Sabrina - July 2019 Scholarship Essay

To me, having a passion for education means being committed to lifelong learning, as well as lifelong teaching. Those who pursue formal education are provided with an opportunity to do more than obtain a degree – they are offered the opportunity to learn how to learn, and learn how to share.

Education cannot be contained within a high school diploma, a Bachelor’s degree, or even post-graduate degrees. Education is something that must be committed to for a lifetime. Every day, people all over wake up to a world that is different than it was the day before. We as a human race are constantly pushing the boundaries of our current knowledge, and it is our responsibility as individuals to push the boundaries of our own current knowledge as well – each and every day. Having a passion for education means putting the consumption and integration of knowledge first above ego, habit, or ease. It will not always be comfortable to continue learning every day, as sometimes the things that we learn will mean that we have to change our currently held beliefs. Sometimes new learning will mean that we should try to make serious changes in how we behave and the things that we do. More than that, sometimes seeking new knowledge every day will mean that we cannot take the path of least resistance. Education and a passion for education means commitment for life.

Having a passion for education and the privilege of an education also means being committed to sharing your lifelong learning with others. Teachers wake up each day to nurture the minds of children, but we can easily forget about all of the others ways that we as humans can teach and enrich the lives of others. Sometimes this can be as simple as helping a grandparent with social media, and sometimes it can mean having the patience to explain a new topic to someone who wants to learn. If you have knowledge on a subject, you now have the power of that knowledge – and we all know that with great power comes great responsibility. Do what you can to share your knowledge in a way that improves the world around us.

As a social worker, I am aware that this does not mean lecturing your friends on mathematics and equations so much as it means being willing to engage in productive discussion about something when someone else expresses a desire to know about it. My knowledge is based in understanding people’s brains and how they interact with others. I don’t have to explain neuroscience to a friend who is experiencing anxiety or depression to express to them that there are options for treatment, and a great chance of learning to cope with mental illness. A marketing specialist doesn’t have to explain industrial psychology to someone to offer up an hour or so a week to help nonprofits make social media posts.

To have a passion for education means sacrificing for the privilege of knowledge – seeking it out each day, implementing it into our lives even when it’s difficult, and spending time and using our patience to share our knowledge with those around us. Education is something that can come in many different forms, and it’s important to remember that.