Author: Marry Ousmane

Nelson Mandela once said, “education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world”. In other words the true goal of education is to help humans gain knowledge, develop critical thinking skills, and empowerment in order to make this world a better place. However based on my experiences I believe that society has adopted a new definition about the true goal of education. Now the sole purpose being ,for social mobility. While I don’t entirely believe that a school education is the only way to achieve a successful life, to some extent I realized this is why I am still in school.

Growing up my parents always emphasized the importance of getting an education. They would often say  “Education is your number one priority. Without it you can’t get ahead in this life.” Both my parents grew up in West Africa and did not have the opportunity to attend  high-school which is why they view education with a sense of urgency.  In fact  this  narrative  about school leading to a successful life is one that I heard  from both of my principals and teachers throughout most of my  public education.  Just like my parents, they would say “you can’t make it in this life without school.” This ideology is echoed throughout the American school system. While there is nothing wrong with wanting to move up the social ladder,  the problem with this notion is that it teaches students to idolizes money and status over logic and reasoning. It makes us better test takers not critical thinkers. 

Furthermore, this notion of social mobility has also played a role in the inequities in America’s public school system. As someone who grew up attending public schools in low income neighborhoods I can attest to this. For instance, when I started junior high I  enrolled in  the notorious Middle School 2.  At the time it didn’t have a good reputation, as a matter of fact it was a school all of my teachers at elementary advised me not to attend. I ended up going there because my older siblings had graduated from there and it wasn’t far from house. Gang violence was prevalent in the school, fights erupted between competing gang members specifically the “Bloods and the Crips” and some of my peers were 17 years old. In addition we didn’t have the newest technology or books. At the time this is  how I thought all schools were. But then I would hear the principal and staff at my school make remarks about schools in wealthier neighborhoods and how students were intelligent and well behaved and how they were given new textbooks. 

In conclusion, education is a way in making sure that we will grow and create a positive influence to the world. In the future I want to be able to change the inequalities going on in public school systems. Its important that we set an example for our future generations especially because our society is changing.

There are a few anecdotes that come to mind in regards to my education. One in particular is during my freshmen year of high school, which was a roller coaster of a year for me. Prior to starting high school, I was always a studious person, with a passion for reading and writing.  I always made sure to complete my homework on time and study whenever a test came up. However, when I entered high school I was no longer the girl who’d stay up all night studying for an exam. I started to lose interest and focus in school. Procrastination became normal for me which lead to my grades dropping. I knew I had the potential to excel in my classes, but I didn’t have the motivation. I got a wake up call, when I failed one of my favorite subjects, english , at the end of the first semester. When I found out that I failed, I recalled hiding my report card from my mother not only because she would question my grades, but because I knew how important education was to her. As a young woman growing up in Senegal she didn’t have the opportunity to complete high school. So she would never understand why someone like me who had access to free a public education would fail her classes.

Instead of being accountable for my  actions, I  blamed my teacher for my failure because she was a  “harsh” grader. Fast forward to my  second semester when my  English teacher gave students a chance to make up any missing work in order to get a passing grade in the course. At my school English was a requirement and if you failed all marking periods especially the third, then you’ll have to attend summer school. I didn’t want to attend summer school, so I attempted to put in the effort and make up all of the missing assignments. However, I started to procrastinate again. By the end of my last semester, although I  felt it in my gut that I would end up on summer school, when the teacher confirmed it, tears started rolling down my face. I felt like a failure. I remember pleading with my guidance counselor and teacher to give me a chance, but  it was too late.I ended up going to summer school. During summer school, that’s when I decided to turn my actions around. I made a promise to myself that I would never fail a class. By the end of the summer course I got a 95 in my English class. Although I hated taking summer courses as well as my  mother’s constant nagging, going was actually one of the best things that’s ever happen to me.  It taught me about a great lesson about accountability. In addition it helped realized if I focused, put in effort and completed my work on time then the results will be great. Also, I thought about how everything you’re doing in the present moment can affect your future. For example, my goal was to graduate high school successfully, so I made a promise to work hard and take my school work seriously and I ended up graduating on time and getting better grades.