The World's Classroom by Vanessa

The World's Classroom by Vanessa - August 2013 Scholarship Essay

I spent a significant amount of time trying to recall a great lesson that I learned in the classroom. I was unable to do so. That is not to say that my formal education was not note-worthy. I was fortunate enough to have quality teachers throughout my childhood of public schools and while earning my bachelor’s degree in Social Work. I suppose the reason it is difficult to recall my most important lesson learned in a classroom is because the lessons I've come to value most in life took place in less traditional classrooms. I've traveled to nine different countries in my short 26 years, a passion and opportunity that developed after I served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Ukraine. I remember one specific moment of my time in Ukraine when I went to visit the hometown of a new Ukrainian friend of mine, Sveta. As I stepped off the bus and looked around at the village Sveta grew-up in, I could not spot one thing that reminded me of my childhood. The buildings were as broken down as the bus we rode in on and her family's apartment was cramped. I could not have felt more displaced from my norm. But when I sat down at a small table that night with Sveta and her family and listened to them speak with each other, I found myself listening to conversations no different than those I would have with my family. They discussed favorite ice cream flavors, plans they had with neighbors, concerns about the educational system, and hopes of future grandchildren.  This moment was one of the most important learning experiences of my life, although it took place in a different kind of classroom. At that time I began to understand how similar all people are. It seems like an obvious lesson, but one that I think humankind doesn't fully recognize. It's easy to see people more different than you, when their background looks so different than your own. But if you take a minute to see all the similarities the lesson can actually hit you like a brick wall. People who seem to live so different are actually so similar. So I carry this lesson around with me to each subsequent classroom: no matter what cultural difference I am struggling to understand, humans want and experience a lot of the same things. With this lesson I remind myself to never place myself above or below someone else, but rather to remain humble in all I pursue.