Berkley Center

I like to call myself a child of “opportunity.” Educational opportunity, that is. I am young, bright, and live in the United States, the land of opportunity. I can rule the world if I wanted, but only with the proper education. When I moved from the Dominican Republic to the United States three years, there was one thing on my mind, getting an education. I left my life behind to pursue an education, so when I say I am a child of opportunity, I mean it. When I got here, I had nothing. All I had was hope, drive, and my family’s support. I look back in joy because it was worth it, I am pursuing that education.

Education is just such a powerful tool. The world can strip you of all that is a material, but with the proper education, there is nothing you can’t handle. Education is knowledge, knowledge is power. Being educated gives you the power to decide, to vote, to choose, to care, to serve. Education leads to success. Success, being the subjective term that it is, signifies the attainment of something you worked hard to accomplish or gain. I believe that progress and education are synonyms. In a country that likes to set standards, educational opportunity should be a priority.

Education doesn’t discriminate, and when offered it serves a lifetime. The Hispanic woman should not feel she doesn’t belong in the Ivy League, the Black young man shouldn’t feel he can’t be a Congressman. This is what education is, achieving what others don’t expect from you. “Stay in school” they say, well it would be my pleasure.

I can offer testimony that with the right educational tools, anything and everything is possible. The land of the free, that is where I chose to live my dream, so when I think “free” I think educated. Florentino 2 An education is independence and sovereignty. So yes, I do think educational opportunity is, and always has been the key to success in the United States.