The American Dream Education Essay

The American Dream is a romanticized concept. At the time of its origin, it symbolized the cherished qualities of hard work and achievement. Originally available only to landowning white males, the American Dream has expanded over the years to fit the variety of the American population, and it is still growing. Education has provided tools for advancement in the economic hierarchy and has allowed our views on justice and morality to evolve as our awareness of the world around us increases. The American education system is often criticized, and while it is far from perfect, it constantly reminds me of my privilege. School attendance is enforced by law, which should not be taken for granted. A county-supplied bus is always outside my street to transport me to and from my
There are countless examples: Malala Yousafzai was shot in the head by the Taliban at age fourteen just for going to school, and Boko Haram colloquially translates to “Western education is a sin” in the Hausa language. Education is a problem and solution for economic and political progression as well as poverty. I go to school not just for my personal growth and training, but also for the millions of women who have not been taught to read and write or lack an infrastructure of free education in their community.
It was never questioned that I would attend college. The value of education has been instilled in my family for generations. My great grandma Lil started it all: after growing up in the Lower East Side of Manhattan, she matriculated at the City University of New York with degrees in law, math, and education. Perhaps due to the Great Depression, she found work where it was available as a grade school teacher, and she never stopped learning. Grandma Lil was enrolled in classes until the day she died. Her passion was a