It is important to step back and look at truly every experience we had as individuals in order to decide on what we are most thankful for. Being thankful for the beautiful and standard articles in life — including family, friends, shelter and meals on the table — each day are tokens of gratitude we bestow above many others.
However, it is important that we also give a tremendous ode to our facile access to education here in the United States. We ought to appreciate the tremendous effects that we have accomplished in this sphere of our lives. According a study from Harvard and the Asian Development Bank, only 6.7 percent of the world has a college degree. Sure, university life is not without its own obstacles – students are plagued with a pressure to balance and succeed in their midterms, finals, internships, volunteering hours, extracurricular activities for personal growth, all while maintaining relationships with close friends and family. Many times, one might feel discouraged to feel thankful or happy each and every day as the alarm clock rings out at 6AM to start a hectic day filled with important tasks for a prosperous professional and personal life. But, we must realize the amazing opportunity we are given – there are a multitude of people all around the world who would go to extreme lengths to be able to receive the opportunities we take for granted here in terms of education.
While we complain about the train delays to head to our morning class, there are students on the other side of the globe walking miles to receive even a day’s worth of education. They are hungry with the knowledge to soak up all that they are able to receive in their country. We seldom realize the opportunities that given to us in the United States – we are given the freedom to change lives, create and invent for the next generations, make breakthroughs in research, technology, social media, politics and more. While we still have much to perfect on our educational system, we can all agree that education has had a profound impact on the lives of millions. It has allowed us to access innovations to benefit the environment, lengthen the age span of humankind, improve memory skills, cure widespread diseases and continue leading the path to healthier and safer lives.
We must remember that when we take on the role of a student, we are taking on the role to make an active impact in this world. We must strive to take full advantage of the opportunity of education we receive to make a difference in our society. At times, one can wonder why they were placed with a life full of privileges, such as food, shelter, clothing, and access to education, while others are starving and in desperate search for their next meal or next source of income to support their loved ones. While these thoughts can fill one with despair, it is important to realize that we, as the privileged individuals, should take on the responsibility to attain the highest level of education according to our true passion in order to produce quality work for society and global civilization. From this, we will be able to make an impact in the world and help those who did not receive the same privileges as us.
