Berkley Center

Fifty percent. One-Half. One out of two. Any way you look at it, the number of students in our country who have the opportunity to pursue higher education is appalling. We live in a world in which education literally plays a direct and massive role in all facets of life – attaining jobs, status, making a difference, creating credibility – all vital things in shaping a “successful” life. However, the current conditions in too many of our school districts are so poor that vast portions of our most vital capital – human minds – are subjected to the inability to advance. It is time to make a real change. A change that will make educational opportunity a reality for ALL Americans. It is time for a change that is so desperately needed.

Most people would agree that we should have accessible educational opportunity for all, but fail to produce the why. The problem lies in that in order to garner true motivation to make a significant change, we must have these substantial “whys” to support the notion that we should have equal educational opportunity. Some of the obvious “whys” are:

1. Unfairness. It is simply unfair for the location of a student to decide whether he or she has ample opportunity to achieve higher education.
2. Lost intellect. Every human has something to contribute to our world’s intellectual pool, and unequal access to success suppresses the vocalization of intellect.
3. Our future. The future of our world lies in the hands of our youth. When so many don’t have the opportunity to advance, both they and the prosperity of the future suffer.

The “whys” that I have produced can only scratch the surface of the countless reasons behind the need for educational opportunity across the board in our country. Imagine the possibilities if we put our minds together to piece together motives and enthusiasm for educational opportunity. That is the kind of world in which I would like to live. That is the kind of world I want to inspire.