As a kid, I remember playing with Legos, which allowed me to use my imagination and creativity to its fullest potential. I could sit there for hours and be deep in thought, not stressing or overthinking. This state we achieve as kids is harder to maintain as we get older, and school contributes to this loss.  

Ever since I lost my ability to achieve this state, I began to wonder why. That “why” led me to a vital opportunity in life: education. When people think about education, they often view it as an opportunity to grow their minds and become better humans, while some despise it because all they see is loads of work. 

 Business magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller once said, “I don’t want a nation of thinkers, I want a nation of workers.” This quote led me to think that rich individuals do not want people to be educated and want to profit from them instead. Rockefeller was a wealthy individual who created the General Education Board, which aimed to “help” education, particularly in the South, and it donated money for scholastic causes.  

  Education matters because it is a core part of our lives, and it shapes who we are and what we do. Things such as the material we are taught, the way we are taught and our experiences in school shape our future. Some current material is not satisfactory, as it focuses on memory. In my education, for example, history has trained my memory, not critical thinking. But I can agree that history teaches us how to connect events and think about why they happened. 

 Being able to think and question things you see allows you to be open-minded. When this ability to think is turned off, all you can do is work based on what you are given and behave like a robot. I will always continue to fight for what information my brain is given because I value being able to think and work for myself. I strive to make school worth it no matter what material I am given.