Recently in my AP Language class, we have been discussing the idea of equal education. Education seems to be a sensitive topic, but we are not the ones who should be complaining about our future. Instead we should be focused on how to take advantage of the benefits and luxuries of life presented to us.

In the developed society we live in, we constantly find ourselves complaining (myself included) about the stuff we have power over. We complain over getting a proper education or being normal students while people in more impoverished places don't even know if they'll get a chance to go to school tomorrow. We also complain about the state of our schools while people in these other areas don't know if they will be safe in the country that should be the safest.

The worst is when students like myself constantly look at the negative and the downfalls of what we don't have while not paying attention to those in less fortunate areas.

In class, we watched a documentary called "Waiting For Superman," and this was focused on a group of less fortunate families attempting to get their children accepted into better schools but were either turned down or lost by the luck of the draw. In the end, we saw that these families stuck in a vicious cycle of trying to improve their children's lives but were unable to.

When my class discussed the events of the documentary, each of us expressed our regret over not being more grateful for the gifted life we have been given. My classmates and I discussed ways for all of us to be better and wanted to be people that the students in the movie we watched could be proud of. My classmates all wanted to be people who other people could see as role models.

The best way to show our gratitude is to take advantage of the opportunities presented to us. Instead of being sentimental about how others achieved more success than ourselves, we must strive to be better.

My parents have always told me to be better than the person next to me or at least work harder in our achievements. This is not meant to be another way for competition; it is simply a way for each of us to take advantage of our talents. We already live in a society of competition, rather I'm just promoting students taking action for themselves.

In the end, the cards dealt to us do not define our future. It is how we use them to make a name for ourselves. I told myself that I would be better than who I was before as to not let my past define who I am. I wanted to be someone better, a doer who takes advantage of the opportunities presented to me.