Standing up for Education by Vivi

Standing up for Education by Vivi - March 2014 Scholarship Essay

I come from a Title One school – that is, a public high school that as a whole consists of kids from "low income" families. Title One students have their own unique set of issues. We did not have the same opportunities or experiences that other teenagers in Orange County might have had. Most of us were either first-generation Mexican-Americans, first-generation Vietnamese-Americans, or immigrants; meaning English was not our parents' first language. Our immigrant parents worked hard to put a roof over our tired heads, food into our hungry mouths and knowledge into our inquisitive minds. There wasn't a whole lot of residual income to go around after covering the basic necessities, and we knew that very well. Despite our economic statuses and the fact that a high percentage of us were ESL (English as a Second Language) learners, La Quinta High exhibited impressive academic statistics. We consistently earned high API scores on California standardized tests, around ninety percent of my senior class earned their diplomas and a good amount of us were able to enroll in four year universities immediately after graduating. Let me emphasize the words "a good amount".

During the fall of my last year at La Quinta, our new principal made it a point to make an appearance in each of the existing senior English classes. One fateful day that November, it was my class' turn to hear her speak. I don't remember all of her exact words, but I do remember one thing she said very well, "community college puts you at risk of failing to earn a degree. All of you MUST enroll in a four year university." Because I was younger, headstrong and ignorant about the severity of consequences, I turned her speech into a discussion. My hand shot up almost instinctively – I had something to say and if that thought didn't emerge that very second it would literally ulcerate inside of me! "I just wanted to point out that a lot of our families are too poor for us to go straight to a university. I really think that community college is a more affordable and realistic option", and just like that everyone's heads turned. My classmates looked confused. My English teacher looked infuriated. My relationship with the principal was awkwardly hostile after that incident. A day later, details of the event spread like wildfire. I was interrogated, scrutinized and eventually praised. My decision to antagonize an authority figure was seen by faculty members and peers as a scrupulous act of bravery... my reaction to that was a mix of confusion and contemplation. By choosing to voice an opinion I felt was fundamentally correct, had I just done something that others dared not to? No one understood that I was simply experiencing a cathartic moment. Nonetheless, I was happy to have support in the midst of what could have been academic suicide.

The incident between the principal and myself was a classic yet complex case of situational irony. She was the official authoritarian figure of an educational institution that fostered tremendous academic achievement. The intention behind her speech was to motivate us to pursue higher education in order to attain the glory of a successful career and a bright future. However positive her intentions, I felt she was out of touch with the student body's life experiences. While it was true that each and everyone one of us had the academic potential to be exceedingly successful people, we were only unable to uncover that potential at a public school that didn't burden us financially in any way. In the very classroom where I was supposed to be listening to and learning from educators like her, I had spoken out in a decision to share my knowledge with her.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s belief that, "Intelligence plus character—that is the goal of true education", hits close to home for me, especially when I recall this time of my life. I sincerely hope that Principal Milner understands that she hadn't failed us in that moment. In reality, my act of defiance had stemmed from an intellectual confidence and open-mindedness that I had harvested from learning at school. Without the proper educational environment, I wouldn't have been able to critically think about how her statement might affect my peers and me. And though it may have been but a small occurrence in my life, I know it has made all the difference.