When exploring how we learn in American schools, it is important to recognize the foundation of our education system. It starts with elementary school, where students go to socialize more rather than study for long nights. Fast forward to middle school and high school, there is still a good chance that students do not value their education and what they are learning because they are not self invested. Personally, I was one of those kids that did not care about school work during middle school or high school. I did not value the education, rather I was there only because I had to be. It wasn’t until I decided to go to a military college when I started to value my education. I feel it is important that we try to help these students learn the value in their education. By learning this, the students will be more engaged with their teachers and peers and want to learn, rather than just be there because they have too.

Four years ago, during my senior year of high school, I was going through a stressful situation because of personal problems. I did not enjoy school, and it was expected for me to go to college so during that time, I did not what to do. Then I started looking at other alternatives, such as going to trade school or enlisting in the Military. However, my mother wanted me to go school, so I decided that I would try something out of the ordinary and start looking at Military colleges. This shocked everyone, as I was the only person from my school to choose this route. This decision completely changed my life for the better. I learned that it is okay to not travel down the same road as my peers and that choosing a harder path made me a stronger individual. There is a problem in society where people are expected to go to college because “everyone” does, and the education system does not help this public issue. However, my family supported this decision, which is the most important tool to building a strong foundation in any decision.