“No one can take your education from you.”

This was a line said by a women I met at my great aunt’s 80th birthday party.

She was congratulating my younger cousin on her graduation from high school when the wise words flowed from her mouth. The phrase really resonated with me. The next day I attended my boyfriend’s university graduation where I got to watch about 300 students accept their undergraduate diplomas. As I watched the Class of 2016 walk through the isles, I couldn’t help but think about all the educational lessons and information learned throughout not only those four years, but also during the lifetime of those individuals.

I live in a society where education is allowed to be obtain by anyone. Any race, any gender, any age. However, I know that many countries in the world face social barriers that don’t allow them the basic right on an education. It reminds me how lucky I am to be a mixed race female who has almost completed her bachelor’s degree.

That women I met at the party spoke for everyone when she said that education could not be taken from you. The information and lessons you learn are yours. They are in your mind. Education, on many different levels, is what helps drive us to succeed in life.

It’s really freeing knowing that I cannot have my education taken from me. What I have learned and discovered is mine forever.

If you live in a society where education is available to everyone, take a moment to realize how lucky you are to know that education.

Education is what drives us in life. Education through school, education through conversation, and education everywhere in between.

I am thankful that I am able to earn an education, and go on to help educate others.
– Liv