My Educational Journey: From Cannot to Can
Jennifer Olsen
Professor Stephen Leech
English 1A
6 July 2015
My Educational Journey: From Cannot to Can
Aristotle once said, “The roots of education are bitter, but the fruit is sweet.” Every person has experiences that influence their view of education. Every day we are influenced in one way or another. Whether it be by our parents, our family, our friends, our environment, or society. A significant event for me, which influenced my education, was the day that my parents told me they could not afford to send me to college. At home, I would have considered my life average, dare I even say mundane? When I was a small child in elementary school, we had very little. Not that we were homeless, but we were not considered middle class when I was a young child. We shopped at thrift stores, ate TV dinners, and lived in a trailer. The other kids teased me in school because of our financial status and I only had 2 true friends. As a student in high school, I was average, but I wanted to go to college so that I would be able to provide myself a more comfortable life than what my parents were able to provide for me.
During my senior year in high school, I remember applying to several different colleges. Excitement filled me when I received my acceptance letter to Fresno State University, but my mom did not share the same excitement with me. In fact, I do not believe there was any reaction from her. Financial aid paperwork was completed, however, upon receiving the results I was told that they were not willing to take out loans to pay for my education. Since I did not have the good grades to qualify for grants or scholarships, I could not go to college. That was it. The end. So much for my goal. Instead, I went to work. That one small statement, “We cannot pay for college” changed my life. The cost of in-state tuition in 1997 was approximately $7,000 a year. Comparatively, the cost of having me in the home could have been around that cost. Looking back on it, I wonder if
Professor Stephen Leech
English 1A
6 July 2015
My Educational Journey: From Cannot to Can
Aristotle once said, “The roots of education are bitter, but the fruit is sweet.” Every person has experiences that influence their view of education. Every day we are influenced in one way or another. Whether it be by our parents, our family, our friends, our environment, or society. A significant event for me, which influenced my education, was the day that my parents told me they could not afford to send me to college. At home, I would have considered my life average, dare I even say mundane? When I was a small child in elementary school, we had very little. Not that we were homeless, but we were not considered middle class when I was a young child. We shopped at thrift stores, ate TV dinners, and lived in a trailer. The other kids teased me in school because of our financial status and I only had 2 true friends. As a student in high school, I was average, but I wanted to go to college so that I would be able to provide myself a more comfortable life than what my parents were able to provide for me.
During my senior year in high school, I remember applying to several different colleges. Excitement filled me when I received my acceptance letter to Fresno State University, but my mom did not share the same excitement with me. In fact, I do not believe there was any reaction from her. Financial aid paperwork was completed, however, upon receiving the results I was told that they were not willing to take out loans to pay for my education. Since I did not have the good grades to qualify for grants or scholarships, I could not go to college. That was it. The end. So much for my goal. Instead, I went to work. That one small statement, “We cannot pay for college” changed my life. The cost of in-state tuition in 1997 was approximately $7,000 a year. Comparatively, the cost of having me in the home could have been around that cost. Looking back on it, I wonder if