I am a firm believer in the idea that education is the access point for everything in the world. Education gives you the power and knowledge necessary to protect yourself and the ones around you.

It gives you your knowledge of your worth and empowers people all over the globe. That’s why oppressors remove the oppressed from educational institutions and invalidate the education they have received.

It’s why students now need to be taught about “fake news” because someone attacks news stations who go against his regime. But I also understand that I, as a white woman in the United States, have better access to an education than most.

Because of that reasoning, I have always put my education above everything else in life because of my belief in education. Whether that be spending time with my family, going out with friends, or even relaxing by myself, if I know I need to get school work done, I will sacrifice my time for school.

There are people all over the world, including thousands of women and children, who wish they could be educated the same way I am. There are students, like Malala Yousafzai, who risked their lives for their education, and some students in the United States cannot be bothered to put in minimal effort towards their education.

I cannot justify those who simply don’t try in school because they don’t care, or they don’t see the point in school.

Of course, I know that isn’t always healthy to sacrifice your personal time for school, but I see no problem with staying up really late once in a blue moon if it means that my grade won’t suffer. Giving up hanging out with your friends once a month or bringing a book to dinner with family once in a while isn’t a problem.

Students in the United States often take their free public education for granted because it is free and it is mandatory until 16 years of age. They’ll skip school for no reason, they’ll harass their educators, and they’ll even make themselves an outcast because they think they’re too good for school.

There are, of course, are hundreds of reasons why a student might not be the best in school, but that does not mean they should get a free pass to bypass school. They should receive additional help, but they should not be allowed to pass solely because they have an issue that prohibits them from receiving a “standard” education.

Now, I understand how flawed the American education system is, but when it is your first step in changing your life, there should be no reason you don’t put effort in. I don’t even mean traditional schooling. Vocational schools and specialty schools are great at educating their students in blue-collar careers.

This is why I believe in the power of education the way I do. It might not be your favorite thing in the entire world, but education leads to a better life for you and those in your life.

Students around the world sacrifice their lives for the education I receive for free. Families in low-income areas in the US would sacrifice everything they have for their child to go to a good school.

This is why I believe what I do because my education was not a sacrifice. In fact, most of it was mandatory, yet, I pushed myself harder than I ever have in school because I know that my life will be better because of it.